Beware of Gifts
by ldyjaydin
Summary: Welcome back to Quarry! Sequel to "Hell Fire Quarry" (read that first). After the herd attack, Flying Eagle presents Daryl with a gift for saving them through Sky, his spirit horse...a wife. How is Daryl going to deal with this without insulting the Sioux tribe or destroying his blossoming relationship with Carol? M for sexual situation and occasional bad language.
1. Chapter 1

**Beware of Gifts**

Hi everyone! Please be aware that this is a sequel to the story "Hell Fire Quarry" and if you have not read that one yet, go do it now! You'll be totally lost if you read this one first so give that one a chance. For those of you who are returning with me into this Twilight Zone version of the Walking Dead in the west, welcome back to Quarry! I plan to make this story less serious and more fun as we deal with some bumps in the road of Daryl and Carol's relationship. Enjoy!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 1**

It was raining the day the soldiers came into Quarry. There had not been a lot of rain in the last few months, which was starting to show in the weary crops. However, on this particular day, the skies opened and a great torrential downpour descended upon the small, remote town. The soldiers arrived wet and muddy.

Six days had passed since the herd of wendigos had attacked Quarry and the townsfolk banded together to bring them all down. The giant Greene barn had burned for over a day until it was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes. The entire demon horde had been incinerated. The fiery ashes had climbed high into the sky in a great plume of smoke and it had lingered in the air, almost as a reminder to their trauma. Now the cleansing rains were helping to wash it away. It would allow all of them to start fresh.

Everyone in the small town had come out to Otis's funeral. He had sacrificed his life for them, making sure that barn door was locked tight to seal in the monsters. Too bad even the huge barn could not hold them all and the stragglers had ripped him apart. It was held in the small cemetery just outside the city limits where all their loved ones that had fallen before were interred. The clouds had already been starting to roll in at that point, making the event a little more somber. Luckily, the rain had held off for a couple of days.

Herschel had been the one to preside over the ceremony with Maggie and Beth each holding onto Patricia's arms in support. The widowed woman had taken the news of her husband's passing badly at first but at the funeral she stood tall and proud at her Otis's selfless act. She had even given them a brave smile when all the men removed their hats and Rick had saluted Otis as the plain wooden coffin was lowered into the ground. Only her red-rimmed eyes had betrayed her grief.

There had not been any funerals for the others. The bodies of Ed Peletier, Bounty Hunter Philip Blake, and outlaws Dave and Tony had all been burned unceremoniously with few people there to witness it. None of them were missed. However, former deputy Shane Walsh had been buried privately in the cemetery with only Rick, Lori and Carol attending that funeral. Despite the fact that he had gone completely crazy at the end, they all recognized that a part of him had been a good man at one time.

Life had even started to get back to normal. There had not been a wendigo sighting or incident since the massive herd and people were beginning to relax again. The stranglehold on the children was being loosened. Not that any of them were allowed into the woods alone again but they could travel around the town without parental supervision. Carol had even reopened the school house. The Greenes had started to rebuild the massive barn structure, which was a welcome sight for all. The hope was that it would be finished in time for a certain happy event in the near future, a wedding.

Sheriff Rick Grimes stood just inside the doorway of the sheriff's station. He was planning on doing his usual rounds, checking in at Andrea's saloon and Dale's General Store. However, with the rain pouring down outside, he thought better of it. Best to wait it out and not get soaked to the bone unnecessarily.

Behind him, he heard a soft grunt. He turned his head and couldn't help but smirk as Randall lugged a heavy chair around. The young man had volunteered to reorganize the storage room into something more user-friendly than just random stuff piled up. It was a job he'd always tried pressing Shane into doing but never got done. Now he had this youthful, enthusiastic guy happy to comply with any job he suggested. It was like a breath of fresh air in comparison to having to fight over every little thing with Shane. Rick hadn't told him yet but he was planning on making the kid acting Deputy. It wouldn't be official without final approval from Denver but since they were out of communication right now, it would be like a field commission. He had a feeling Randall was going to be overjoyed and it made Rick smile just thinking about it.

In the mists of the rain, Rick caught sight of something moving down the road. He squinted, trying to make it out through the sheets of water blocking his vision. The form seemed to resolve into that of a man but he was still to far away to get any more details than that. Rick felt his stomach clench. Wendigo? What man in his right mind would be tromping through this kind of weather? A walking undead man wouldn't care at all.

The figure was getting closer. Rick pulled his pistol out of the holster at his hip and pulled back the hammer. He held it ready in his hand as the figure continued to move further into town. The man (thing?) was hunched up, his head tucked down to avoid the water splashing into his face. It seemed like such a deliberate action, not one of an unthinking creature. He didn't put the gun back yet though.

He heard a crash behind him and it made him jump a little from the tension he was feeling watching the figure. The crash was followed by a whispered curse, which was followed by an apology. "Sorry!" Randall yelled out of the room. "This damn pool fell on me. What the heck is this thing even doing in here?" the young man mused. Rick might have chuckled a few minutes ago but now he kept totally silent. Randall didn't seem to notice Rick's lack of response and went back to work.

The man in the rain was almost upon the sheriff's station. He paused and peered at Rick. Rick's grip tightened on the gun, his finger resting on the trigger in readiness now. The man jogged over to him and Rick could see that he was wearing a uniform. It was a very dark blue, made almost black in color by the drenching rain, with little gold buttons. A Union Army uniform. He looked up then and his eyes were clear brown, no cloudiness. Rick's hand relaxed on the gun but he did not immediately put it away.

"You the Sheriff?" the soldier shouted at him, his voice still muffled by the surrounding storm. Rick nodded. The man then saluted him and shouted "Advanced scout for the United States Army. I will be sending my commanding officer to consult with you shortly." With that, he turned back around and jogged in the direction he came from. Rick lost slight of him shortly as the downpour enveloped him.

Rick uncocked the hammer and slipped the gun back into its holster. Then he shut the door against the driving rain. "Randall!" he called towards the storage room. The energetic man stuck his head out the doorway, looking expectantly at Rick. "Looks like we've got company coming." Rick motioned him over and Randall came eagerly.

Pulling open the top desk drawer, Rick removed the shiny deputy's badge. Randall watched with wide eyes as Rick carefully pinned it on to the young man's vest. It looked like he could barely contain himself from the excitement of it. Rick finished fastening it and Randall just stared at it.

"I hearby deputize you into the Sheriff's department in the territory of Colorado,' Rick stated in an official manner. Then he put his hand out to the astonished man.

Randall shook it enthusiastically. "Thank you, sir. I promise I won't let you down! I'll be the best deputy you've ever had." Rick gave the guy a smile but it was tinged with sadness. As much as he loved Shane as his best friend before he went off the deep end, it never had been easy. Getting that man to do anything was like pulling teeth. He had a feeling it wouldn't be like that with Randall.

He pulled his hand out of Randall's grip, which he let go reluctantly, and put on a serious face. "Now, we have an officer from the Union army headed our way. Not sure what this has to do with but I suspect it's dealing with the wendigos. If not, then even bringing up the subject could make us look like nuts. You let me do the talking, got it?"

"Yes, sir."

It wasn't even five minutes later that the scout Rick had seen earlier walked in the door. The man stood ramrod straight, holding the door open with his one hand and saluting rigidly with his other. "I present Lieutenant Andrew Flynn." He even clomped the heels of his boots together for effect. Rick wanted to groan at the formality of it. This was Quarry, in the western territories, not Washington, DC.

"No need for all that pomp and circumstance, Jacorsky," the Lieutenant said genially as he came through the door. He gave the man a casual salute and dismissed him back into the rain. The man was tall with dark hair and a friendly, easy smile. His uniform was also dripping wet but he didn't seem to notice it other than removing his hat and shaking out some of the drops from his hair. Then he held out his hand to Rick. "You can just call me Andrew. You boys aren't subordinates serving under me so we can be just like regular folk. Sheriff?"

Rick took the offered hand and shook it firmly. "That's right. Sheriff Rick Grimes. This here's my deputy, Randall." The officer nodded to the young man, who tilted his head back. Rick wanted to laugh out loud when he noticed Randall puffing out his chest ever so slightly to emphasize the badge on his vest. However, there was business to attend too. "So what brings the army all the way out to these parts?"

The soldier tilted his head, a confused look on his handsome features as he regarded Rick. "Don't you know?" he asked. "Have you not had any strange happenings in this part of the territory?"

Rick smiled, liking this man already. "Well, now that you mention it, there have been a few odd things in the last few weeks."

"Like rotting, biting zombies trying to eat anything that moves?"

"We call them wendigos," Rick stated matter-of-factly.

Andrew stroked his clean-shaven chin. "Isn't that what the savages call them?"

Rick bristled a little at the term. "Yes, we did get the term from them. Comes from their mythology."

The officer raised his one eyebrow in curiosity. "You communicate with the tribal peoples? They cause you any trouble?"

Rick frowned. "No. We live peacefully with the Sioux tribe nearby. In fact, we have established a trade with them that has been rather lucrative for the town. It's headed up by our General store owner and another man in town. In fact, if it weren't for one of their men, Quarry would be nothing more than a ghost town filled with those zombies, as you call them."

Holding up his hands in surrender, Andrew threw him a disarming smile. "No offense meant, sir. Sounds like you've got a good relationship going with those people. I've had some skirmishes with the Apaches and they truly can be savages. Seen them scalp a man without a thought in the world. Makes you a little untrusting sometimes."

Rick nodded, understanding. He'd heard some stories like that. It made him especially glad they hadn't had any raiding incidents.

Andrew cleared his throat. "Let me tell you what we've discovered and then you can tell me why this place might have become a ghost town but didn't." Rick gestured for him to continue so he did. "It started with rumors a few months ago out in the Montana territory. People getting bit by the dead and then becoming them. Nobody believed the stories until an entire settlement was wiped out and only three people survived. They made it to Kansas City and my platoon was sent out to investigate. We laughed about, how stupid and superstitious those people were. Then we came across one of them. God damned thing killed eight of my men. We kept shooting it and it just kept coming, tearing into them with its teeth and nails. Finally someone shot it in the head and it went down. That's when we learned how to kill them.

"Of course, not all eight of my men died then. A couple just had scratches that my medic stitched up and sent them back out. We didn't know then that every single one of them was going to end up as one of those things by the next day. My own dead soldiers killed another twelve men. You want to know something even scarier? One of my men, not one who had been touched by any of those monsters, got sick and died. And he became one of those things too! Killed two more before being put down. Now we've got strict protocols for dealing with the dead. Bullet to the head.

"One of my soldiers hails from New Orleans and he spoke of these people controlled by voodoo sorcerers that would eat flesh. They were called zombies. Now, I'm not sure if the term adequately applies but it caught on and it's the name we've dubbed them: zombies.

"No idea what caused this but there are some brains back in Washington working on the answer. Doctors and scientist and all coming out here to examine the bodies. I bet they'll find the key and I sure as hell hope it isn't actually a voodoo sorcerer or Indian demon possession.

"Now our mission has been to go through the territories and wipe these creatures out. We just came from your closest neighbor, Woodbury. Not sure if you knew, but that town has been razed to the ground. Didn't find one survivor and not nearly as many zombies as we expected for a town that size. You know anything about that?" Andrew peered at Rick expectantly.

Nodding, Rick told him everything about the herd attack. By the end of the story, when the barn was burned to the ground with the wendigos trapped inside, Andrew was staring at him incredulously. The man licked his lips slowly, pondering this tale. He glanced at Randall, who confirmed it all with a solemn tilt of his head.

"Sheriff, you are a brave man. This whole little town should be commended for its bravery. Even women fighting against those monsters. It's incredible," he said in a voice of awe, his hand gripping Rick's shoulder in an approving manner. Then he seemed to recover and stood up a little straighter. His voice became firmer, more military-like. "I'd like to request that my men be allowed to camp outside your fair town. We could use the rest and restocking of supplies, which we would compensate you fairly for."

"Of course. There is plenty of room for them. Do you stay down there in the camp? Because there is a lovely boarding house just over the saloon across the street if the officers want something a little more comfortable. I'm sure the two ladies that run it would make you feel right at home," Rick offered.

"Well, that's mighty kind of you. I might just take that offer. Haven't slept in a real bed for weeks. Thank you, Sheriff," Andrew smiled widely.

"Call me Rick."

With a nod, the Lieutenant left the Sheriff's station and walked over to the saloon.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! I have to tell you all that I got some amazingly exciting news: I'm going to get to meet Melissa McBride. I just found out that she is going to appear at a sci-fi convention in Maryland called Farpoint in February. I was already planning on going so this is just incredible to me! Now I just have to figure out how to get Funko to make a little Carol figure to go along with my signed Daryl figure.

Now we get into the meat of this story…

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 2**

The bright sun shone down on the countryside, helping to evaporate all the water leftover from the huge rain storm they'd had the day before. The air smelled clear and fresh. The birds could be heard singing happily in the trees and flitting after each other through the atmosphere.

Daryl Dixon held onto Sky's reins as he rode her across the land but he wasn't really paying attention to where she was going. He trusted her to get them where they needed to be. She was so used to traversing his usual pathways that he just went on autopilot, letting his mind wander.

They were on the way to their meeting place with the Sioux tribesmen for their scheduled trade. The time period had been established when Daryl had first made the arrangements with Walking Bird and he had no idea if they were still going to be honored after everything that had happened a week earlier. Walking Bird was gone and even though he had sensed that Chief Flying Eagle was still interested in keeping the trade up, there had been no spoken words about it. Of course, as far as he knew, Walking Bird was the only member of the tribe who spoke even a little English. So there was a chance he might end up just sitting in the middle of a field like an idiot waiting for someone that was never going to come.

That wasn't what he was thinking about though. His brain was in the process of reliving the events of the night before. Sophia had ended up staying at Carl's house because of the rain storm. During a break from the storm in the afternoon, the kids had excitedly accompanied Sheriff Rick to the US Army camp being set-up on the other edge of town. However, the rain had restarted with a vengeance. They all knew that Sophia was safe with the Grimes family and it was better not to risk illness with them tromping through the wet and cold just to bring her home.

That left Daryl and Carol with the house to themselves for the whole night. They didn't waste it either. It had been like a marathon session for them. The moment it started to get dark outside and they knew that Sophia wasn't coming home, Carol had taken him by the hand up to the bedroom. She'd practically ripped his clothes off in her eagerness to have him. As much as he adored her sweet and gentle side, he couldn't deny that this wild side thrilled him. They'd gone at it two, maybe three times, before finally collapsing on the bed in a heap together.

Hunger had struck them then and they'd gone down stairs for a late supper. At the table, they'd eaten cold beef, cheese from Bessie and baked bread in their underwear, laughing at each other's bad jokes. Then in a moment of unbridled lust, he'd bent her over the counter and took her right there in the kitchen. The sound of her screaming out his name was enough to make him hot just thinking about it. Yes, he would probably be fine with sitting in a field waiting like an idiot if he could just replay those memories over and over in his head.

Sky walked over the final ridge into the valley of their meeting place. Daryl's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of other horses. He looked up and found three Sioux braves waiting for him. Red Leaf stood in front, his hand up and palm flat in greeting. Daryl recognized the man to his right, a burly-looking warrior with a broad face and very dark eyes. He had an angry expression and seemed to be glaring at Daryl. Daryl narrowed his eyes at the obvious hostility, which was not something he'd experienced from any of the natives in a long time.

His attention was distracted by the third man, who had his horse stepping a few feet forward from the others. He did not recognize this person, who was younger than the other two. He wore a Stetson hat and his hair was also cut much shorter than the typical Sioux. It was an out-of-place mixture of cultures. He cleared his throat and then spoke clearly to Daryl in absolutely perfect English.

"You are Daryl Dixon, the trader?" he asked.

Daryl was shocked into silence by the man's grasp of English. It was much better than Walking Bird's had ever been. He nodded affirmatively instead.

"My name is Rebel Squirrel but I prefer to go by my chosen English name when I am speaking the white man's tongue. So you can call me Tom." He tilted his head as an introduction.

"How do ya know English so good when Walking Bird could barely speak it and Red Leaf there don't know more than five words? And what's with the hat? Huh, Tom?" Daryl asked suspiciously, not sure what to make of this new man.

"No need for alarm, sir. There's a reason I was given the name of Rebel Squirrel by my clansmen. As soon as I was old enough, I left here to live in the white man's world. I wanted a different life than that of my kin; I wanted adventure. And while there are many white men who scorned me, there were a few who were kind. They taught me how to speak English and fit into your society.

"I would have stayed there forever, never come back here," he said wistfully before his eyes hardened. "Until the wendigo plague came and took away all those who had been generous to me. I tried to fight them but there were too many so I ran, like the Squirrel I am named for. I came back to my people, expecting them to have been wiped out but happy to find the majority of the tribe survived. I have heard that is in thanks to you and your spirit animal."

"Oh, that was mainly cause a Sky here," Daryl patted the side of her neck, which she leaned into with enjoyment. "I didn't know nothing bout it till Walking Bird came ridin' her inta Quarry."

Red Leaf spoke then. Daryl did not understand any of the words except for "Sky" but he was gesturing to Daryl. Tom nodded.

"You are linked with this horse, who is obviously your spirit animal. Even if you were unaware of her actions, you are nevertheless connected together. Therefore, it has been deemed by the elders that you be rewarded." With that, the Sioux turned their horses back in the direction of the village. "Come," Tom beckoned him.

Daryl did not know what else to do but follow them. He felt that his was a great honor but he did not feel that he was entitled to it. Merle had taken Sky to Woodbury, lost her because of the herd and with no control by him, she'd ended up in the Sioux village. However, he felt like arguing would be at best useless and at worst insulting. He glanced back over at the large brave, who was continuing to scowl in his direction. Obviously not everyone believed he deserved a gift.

They rode in silence and when they reached the village, he knew there was no way he was going to be able to sneak away with this quietly. It appeared that the entire population was gathered to greet him with the elders in front. There was an air of excitement among the people, who were almost all smiling widely when they saw him.

Tom slipped off his horse as Chief Flying Eagle came forward, his hands up to silence all chatter going on behind him. Daryl mimicked Tom, landing soundly on his feet but he was nervous by the crowd of people watching him. He hated attention like this. The other two braves stayed perched their horses on the outskirts of the group.

Chief Flying Eagle spoke to Daryl in the flowing language of the Sioux and Daryl did his best to nod in the appropriate places even though he didn't understand what the elderly man was saying. Thankfully, Tom translated then.

"The great spirits have come to the elders and proclaimed that you are to be given a special gift as a reward for both ensuring the survival of this village in the face of the wendigo threat as well as honoring our beloved brother Walking Bird by returning his remains back to his family." Tom smiled at him and then asked seriously, "You have no wife?"

Daryl could feel his face burning red at such a question. Carol flashed into his mind. He was in love with her, practically was living with her as his wife but he really hadn't thought about marriage. Hell, her jackass husband had only just died two weeks earlier. "No," he answered honestly. Instantly, he regretted saying it, a bad feeling lodging itself in his gut when he saw Tom and Fly Eagle smile brightly to each other.

With a wave of the hand, the crowd parted and a lovely young woman walked towards him. She was tall and well-proportioned with almond-shaped eyes that gazed at only him. Her hair was long and flowed in a cascade down her back. It was jet black and so glossy that it seemed to shine. Her skin appeared flawless with light red hue. She had been dressed in the finest clothes of her people to be presented to him.

"Her name is Rushing Water and she will be your bride," Tom guided her to Daryl, who could not help but flinch away as the young man attempted to join their hands. Tom frowned then. "Does she not please you? She is fertile and will bear you many strong sons. Walking Bird had also been teaching her your language and I have helped her refine it along with teaching her your ways. She seems to have a talent for speech and cooking. As the daughter of Red Leaf, she is of impeccable pedigree. Yet, if she is not worthy to you, you may reject her. Would you dishonor both of them by doing this?"

Daryl just stared at the two of them in utter terror. He wished for the earth to split open and pull him into the ground just so that he could end this torture. He heard an unhappy murmur spread through the group but then it was drowned out by the pounding of his own blood rushing through his ears. His eyes shifted the Red Leaf, whose eyes were narrowed at Daryl at the prospect of the rejection of his eldest daughter.

He shifted uncomfortably and his movements seemed to be traitorous because Tom interpreted them as acceptance of Rushing Water.

"Wonderful!" the man of contrasting cultures barked out with joy and joined their hands together finally. Daryl felt like he was going to be sick as Red Leaf climbed off his horse and clapped him excitedly on the back, a huge smile on his face at the prospect of Daryl becoming his son-in-law. The brave then lead his daughter to his own horse, kissed her gently on the forehead and helped her on it. A traveling bag was fastened behind her, presumably carrying all she would need in her new life.

Tom continued. "You will return with her in one cycle of the moon and the wedding ceremony will be performed then. Enjoy discovering each other," Tom added cheekily, knowing no one else would understand him but the three of them.

Daryl couldn't speak. He let his body just go on with the motions of getting on Sky and guiding her home. Behind him, he knew that she was following but he didn't acknowledge it. He was in too much shock at what had just happened and his brain was not finished processing it.

There had to be a way he could fix this. Right?


	3. Chapter 3

Hi all! Two pieces of business before we get back to the fun. First, don't forget to vote in the Caryl fan fiction contest, hosted by the wonderful SOA Loving Mom! Votes are due in by August 15th. You can make up as many categories as you want so show your love for all the Caryl authors!

Secondly, I am going to be away next week at a conference in Hershey. This is a professional conference so not nearly as fun as a sci-fi con. But I have to get my learn on to keep my practicing license! I am bringing the laptop and hopefully I will have access to wi-fi. If not, I promise to continue writing and I will post as soon as I get home.

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 3**

Daryl felt like he was walking through a thick fog, his head all hazy. His stomach hurt and he could feel the bile rising up in the throat. He was concentrating hard on trying not to puke all over his horse. Sky would not have appreciated that. As much as she loved getting brushed down, massaged or rolling around in the dirt, she was not a fan of baths unless it was scorching hot outside.

From behind him, he could hear her horse clomping along as it followed Sky. Daryl completely ignored the woman riding with him. He refused to talk to her or even look at her. Maybe if he didn't acknowledge her presence, she would magically disappear. It was exactly how he had acted around Carol before he realized just what he was feeling for her.

Carol. Just thinking about her made his stomach clench dangerously and he had to take a few deep, cleansing breaths to settle himself. Sweet, loving Carol. He had betrayed her. Technically, he was in the process of betraying her right at this moment as he led this woman back to his house. He had absolutely no clue how to tell her what had happened, or how she was going to react to it.

"You can just call me Water, if you like," she spoke up. His entire body tensed at the sound of her voice but he didn't turn around. "I know Rushing Water can be a mouthful in your language." It was obvious that Tom had been right about her grasp of the English language. There was a natural talent there. Her speech was almost perfect except for an accent that gave a strange little cadence to the words. Some might have found that accent to be exotic but Daryl was in such a mood that he just found it annoying. He continued to ignore her.

That did not stop her from talking though. "Do you live in a house? I've never been in a house before. Tom said it is like several teepees all put together, making up different rooms. Does your house have a lot of rooms? And I hear the cooking fire is inside the house. In something called a…" she paused, trying to come up with the correct word. "Hearth!" she said happily, knowing she'd found the correct one even though he paid no attention. "Do not worry for I am a good cook and will make you many delicious meals. I can also sew. I have one dress like your women wear but I can make more if I can just have some fabric. And I can clean too! Keep it-"

"Stop!" he barked out, not able to stand it any longer. His temper was completely on edge and he could feel it deepening with each word she spoke.

Bashfully, she spoke again but quieter. "Sorry, I'm nervous. I talk a lot when I get nervous." Daryl rolled his eyes, which was not a gesture she saw since his back was still to her as they rode on. Apparently the babbling was going to continue despite his longing for silence.

"I just want you to know that I will be the best wife to you. Tom has taught me so many of your ways and I will learn anything you want. I will take care of you, make you happy in all ways. And you will protect me, my husband."

"Don't call me that!" He spun around in his saddle to face her, shouting the words so loud that she jumped on the back of her horse. His face was red with suppressed anger. Then he turned back around and went back to trying to ignore her.

"I'm sorry. You're right, we have not yet been joined. We are merely betrothed," she said wistfully. He merely groaned to himself in response to that remark.

Thankfully, they rode in silence the rest of the way. When they reached the Dixon residence on the edge of town, he wordlessly led the two horses out back and proceeded to release them from their equipment. Water quickly untied her bundle of belongings, holding the bag close to her chest. Then Daryl turned them both loose into the fenced pasture with a bale of fresh hay. Sky eyed this new addition warily but wasn't about to stop munching on her food to further investigate.

Water watched him closely, noting every action he made. She was on his heels as he went over to the rain barrel and splashed cooling water over his face and rubbed down his stiff neck. When he went in the house, she paused in the doorway. She'd never been in a house before and he certainly wasn't being inviting. She took in the rustic furniture, the cooking hearth and the bare floors.

Daryl was so thankful Merle wasn't home. He knew his older brother was supposed to be at Carol's farm but Merle had a reputation for not adhering to any kind of schedule. Yet, over the past week since he'd come back from Woodbury, he'd been acting like a model citizen. Daryl only hoped he could keep this secret from both Merle and Carol until he could figure out what to do to get himself out of this mess.

Daryl opened one of the doors, the one leading to his bedroom. With any luck, he could just stash her in there for a while. She stepped in and observed the small room with its twin bed, night table simply holding a lantern and a small dresser. Placing her bundle on the floor, she sat gingerly on the mattress. While it was old and lumpy, it was softer than the mats and blankets on the hard ground that she was used to. She couldn't help but grin a little as she let herself bounce up and down some.

"Oh, my betrothed! We shall be so close together during the night. I promise to give you such warmth and pleasure!" she cried out as she flung her body down to lay across the bed.

Daryl blushed violently at her words, his eyes wide. "I ain't sharin' no bed with you!" he snapped out. He felt like he couldn't breath and had to get out of the house. "Goin' huntin'. Stay in here," he stated with a growl, pointing at the floor of the bedroom. Then he slammed the door shut abruptly.

Water frowned as she listened to him leaving. She was confused by her husband-to-be's behavior. Even though she wasn't sure what she had expected, it wasn't this cold, hostility. He was handsome in a scruffy, white-man kind of way and seemed very strong. The bond between him and his spirit horse intrigued her as well. She just needed to crack that hard exterior. No matter, she'd always had a bubbly personality that usually inspired most people to fall in love with her eventually. She was determined to win him over before their joining ceremony.

Water didn't bother getting up from the bed, as she enjoying the feel of it too much. Well, except for this one pointy spring sticking right into her shoulder. She shifted; that was much better. She bounced up and down again on the mattress, giggling. Naughty thoughts of herself and her betrothed in this very bed started forming in her mind. This was going to be an interesting challenge.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Daryl slammed the door shut, storming out into the woods. His crossbow bounced on his back but he'd been so distracted that he'd only taken three bolts with him. He ran through familiar territory, not really tracking himself or anything else. The need to get away from her was just overwhelming for him.

Finally, out in the middle of the forest away from any human eyes, he proceeded to have epic meltdown. He cursed a blue streak, using every bad word he had in his vocabulary. He cursed at God, at the devil, at fate, at the universe and every other force he could think of. He cursed at Flying Eagle, Red Leaf and Walking Bird. He cursed at both names of the messenger, Tom and Rebel Squirrel. He cursed at Water. He even cursed at Sky. Even though he knew her actions were innocent and driven by survival, he felt like she had been laughing at him in her horsey way at the mess he'd gotten himself into.

As he cursed every element involved in his situation, he attacked a cottonwood tree. He could feel the pain radiating up his arms and his legs as he kicked and punched at the wood but it was so dulled by his rage that he barely felt anything. The tree was too big for him to do any real damage to it. It seemed like it was looking down on him, smirking at his insignificant human drama.

After bloodying up his knuckles on both hands and almost breaking his foot, he collapsed on the ground, sweating and panting. His anger was spent but he still was no closer to finding a solution to his problem than he'd been when he started his temper tantrum. He lay on his stomach, his forehead pressed into the dirt trying to relieve the god-awful headache pounding inside his skull.

At that moment, all he wanted was Carol. He wanted her to wrap him in her arms, lay his head on her chest and stroke his hair repeatedly. He wanted her to tell him that everything was going to be alright, that it would all work out for the best in the end. He wanted her to say that he was going to be able to keep his relationship with the Sioux without having to commit himself to Water. He wanted her to assure him that she would stand by him and love him no matter what happened.

Yet as much as he craved her then, there was no way he could go to Carol. He was ashamed that he had brought this foreign woman into his life and just could not explain that he was too chicken shit to tell the tribe no. The thought of how her face would crumble from his betrayal was more than he could handle.

It took him a long while to stop feeling so utterly sorry for himself. He dragged his wretched ass off the forest floor and began to make his way home. It was well past supper time and he actually felt his stomach rumbling. He hoped that Carol and Sophia didn't wait for him. They knew he was going to trade with the Indians and there was a possibility he would not be coming back tonight. He desperately hoped they didn't come check at his house because they would get quite an unpleasant surprise there.

It had gotten dark by the time he'd gotten home and the place looked deserted. She probably didn't know how to use a lantern so he was lucky that she hadn't burned the house down trying to figure it out. Unfortunately, the moment he stepped through the front door, he realized something had been burning. Flipping the lantern in the living room on low, he discovered why. She had tried cooking. The black, crispy remnants of what had probably been eggs seemed to have been cooked into his one good fry pan. He hoped it wasn't completely ruined as he put a piece of soap cake in it and left it to soak overnight.

Having obviously failed at that meal, she had left him a plate of hard biscuits and some beef jerky. He ate them hungrily before grabbing a bottle out of Merle secret stash of moonshine. A long swing of the harsh liquid burned down his throat but it did seem to dull the throbbing in his hands and foot. Served him right for picking a fight with the tree.

Opening his bedroom door just a crack, he saw that she was already asleep in his bed. Her body was covered with his blanket but it looked like from what he could see she might not have been wearing anything at all to sleep. She had pressed herself against the far wall, leaving as much room for him beside her.

He took another long swing of alcohol. There was no way in hell. He wouldn't even sleep in the same room with her, remembering what happened the last time he tried sleeping in that room with a woman. Even though that had become a favorite memory of his with Carol, he would blow his brains out before he let that happen with Water.

Clutching the bottle, he closed the door soundlessly and grabbed a spare blanket before switching off the lantern. He settled into the overstuffed armchair in the living room, letting himself relax as the buzz of the moonshine numbed his feelings. If he wasn't going to be sleeping next to Carol tonight, he was definitely going to need this kind of liquid medication to sleep. Unfortunately, even that wasn't enough to drown out his nightmares of Carol finding out his secret and kicking his ass for it.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, look at this! I was able to get one more chapter out before leaving for Hershey! This is a long one and hopefully it will hold you over until I can figure out when I can post again. It features a favorite character for many of you so with any luck, you'll like it!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 4**

"Ante up, losers!" Merle said merrily. He had a big smile on his face, his teeth clamped down on a burning cigar. There was a Union cap perched sideways on top of his head. He began expertly shuffling the deck of cards in his hands.

The Quarry saloon was packed tight that night, full of happy soldiers who had barely seen civilization since setting out on their mission from Kansas City. Andrea and Amy were bustling around, bringing bowls of steaming beef stew and glasses to all the patron. T-Dog was at the bar, working hard at pouring drinks for seemingly never-endless orders. Herschel was at his usual spot at the piano, pounding out a popular song. About a dozen soldiers, some already drunk, were singing along in hearty voices.

One of the young Union soldiers at Merle's table, who happened to be hatless now, shook his head dejectedly and walked away from the table.

"Nice playin' with ya!" Merle tipped the man's own lost hat at him, eliciting a wince from the retreating soldier. Turning back to the remaining players, he frowned at the lack of money in the pot. "Hey," he growled. "Who's the cheap ass? This ain't no free game."

The two remaining soldiers and Oscar all looked smug while Axel was nervous, refusing to meet Merle's gaze. His lips twitched as his fingers twirled the edge of his thick mustache. Merle suddenly slammed his fist down on the table in front of Axel, making the ginger-haired man jump.

"I said ante up, dumb ass."

Axel started stuttering, "C-come on Merle, can't ya spot me this round. I'll owe ya."

Merle huffed. "Ya ain't got two brain cells ta rub together. I ain't spottin' ya shit." He downed a shot of whiskey, motioning Amy for another. Then he side-eyed Axel again, a malicious smirk lighting his lips as he evaluated the situation. "Shirt," he stated.

"W-what?" Axel stared at Merle, not understanding. The two soldiers were snickering to each other while Oscar looked on with pity. The large black man made a slight gesture to Axel, trying to indicate that he should just give it up. Unfortunately, he didn't get the hint.

"Ya heard me. Shirt," Merle repeated.

Axel chewed his lip then grumbling but refusing to quit, he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it in the middle of the table. The soldiers were trying to hide their laughter behind their hands while Oscar shook his head regretfully. Merle smiled evilly at Axel's very pale chest then dealt out the cards. He downed another whiskey shot as the others examined their cards.

The poker game went on with cards traded and bets made. Axel's shoes were added to the pot. Oscar folded, having only a pair of sevens. He was quickly followed by one of the soldiers, who had absolutely nothing in his hand. The other soldier slapped a coin down and called it.

Merle put his own coin down deliberately near Axel. "Bet or fold. Ya got the balls ta follow through?"

Axel licked his lips anxiously, his eyes flicking from his cards to Merle and the other man. He chewed at his lip indecisively.

"Just fold man!" Oscar shouted at him in exasperation but Axel ignored his friend.

The wicked smirk returned to Merle's face as he looked at Axel sitting there bare-chested in stocking feet. "Pants," he stated simply.

"Merle!" Andrea's voice lashed out towards the table. She'd been keeping an eye on the game after seeing Axel shedding his shirt and shoes. It wouldn't be going any further than that in her bar.

Merle snorted at her but growled out an appeasing "Fine!" Leaning over to a fretful Axel, he said in a low voice, "Ya keep yer pants on now but if ya lose, yer walkin' home in yer skivvies. Ya got that?"

Axel stared at him with mounting panic. Merle looked like a shark who was just about to bite into his prey. The goofy man took a big swallow, making his Adam's apple bob up and down. Then he nodded slightly and laid his cards down on the table for all to see.

"God damn it!" Merle yelled, slapping his own cards down on the table. Axel had a flush, all his cards having the same suit: red hearts. Merle had three of a kind, kings. Both of them knew that Axel's hand beat Merle's out. Everyone watching, which was quite a few people since this game had gotten interesting, shifted their view over to the remaining soldier. He smiled nicely and laid down his hand. Nothing; he'd been bluffing.

"Yee haw!" shouted Axel, gathering up the winning pot towards him. He slipped back into his shirt and shoes and shoved the coins into his pockets. Oscar was shaking his head again but this time he was smiling, still not believing what had just happened. Axel almost never won and he thought Axel was going to end up walking through town in just his drawers.

Merle tried to look surly at first for losing but in actuality, he was glad not to have to take the pants off the farm hand. He would have done it to enforce the principle of the matter but seeing that much of Axel was not something he had been looking forward to. Then he seemed to get a great idea and clamped a hand on Axel's now fully-clothed shoulder.

"Hey man, how's bout ya buy me a drink with yer winnings? Merle asked smoothly.

Axel looked unsure of himself again. "But- but don't ya got yer own winnings too?"

"Come on! I let ya keep yur pants on, right? Didn't make ya put 'em in the pot," Merle said as his arm went further around the red-head's shoulders, pulling Axel off-balance in to him.

"Well, o-okay," Axel sputtered out. Oscar rolled his eyes. Merle motioned for Amy to bring them a few more drinks before releasing Axel, who stumbled back to his chair.

The three farm hands drank for several hours, telling dirty jokes and disgusting farm stories for a few more hours. Slowly the patrons were departing the saloon until just they remained. Andrea was the one to cut them off.

"Alright, boys. Get out!" Andrea told them as unsubtly as possible but she did have a smile on her face. Oscar pulled Axel along, who was having difficulty getting his feet to move straight. Merle cackled at the sight of them wobbling out of the bar until he stood up himself.

"Damn, I must be getting' old," he muttered, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him. "I'm turnin' into a fuckin' woman who can't hold her liquor."

"You okay to get home, Merle?" Andrea asked, concerned. She noticed he was swaying a little where he was standing. "You want to stay in one of my rooms here?" She pointed up the stairs to the boarding rooms. "I've got one left with all the officers staying here."

Merle glanced up and saw Milton watching from the doorway at the top. He had his arms crossed across his chest, an amused look on his face. Merle waved to the reporter, who had decided it was not quite time to leave town yet. It wasn't just because of the wendigo threat either. Milton's eyes moved to Andrea and visibly softened.

With a grin, Merle asked Andrea, "So is he as stiff and straight-laced in bed or does he know all the right moves to make ya scream?"

Andrea's face turned bright red, her eyes wide with shock at such a comment. "That's it, Merle. Offer rescinded. Get the hell out of my bar!" Andrea shouted at him. As she was shoving him through the swinging front doors, Merle glimpsed Milton at the top of the stairs. The well-dressed man had a little smile on his face and gave Merle a slight nod. That made Merle laugh hysterically as he was pushed out into the night.

As he tried to regain his balance in the road before he fell on his face, he briefly considered going in the other direction, towards the Greene farm. He hadn't seen Karen all day long and he was surprised to find that he really missed her. They'd been spending a lot of time together as he really enjoyed her company. She had a sharp wit as well as a mean tongue when they'd trade quips back and forth with each other. Plus, she had several other talents she employed with that tongue as well. Talents he was thoroughly benefiting from.

However, she and her father had been contracted by the newly arrived troops to work on their many horses. Most of the horses had not seen a farrier in months. It was several days' worth of work and she had been too exhausted to go out to the saloon that night. Hence why he'd gotten himself involved in the poker game.

Deciding it was not the brightest idea to go to her in his current drunken state, he stumbled home to his little house on the edge of town. It was completely dark, which was not unexpected at this time of night. He highly doubted his little brother was home. That man seemed to have become joined at the hip with Carol since even before the herd came. Not that he blamed him. Even though she was so sweet and kind, he had a feeling she was a wildcat in the sack and Daryl was taking full advantage of that.

Merle didn't even bother switching on the lantern as he came in the front door. He was headed for his room with plans to simply crash. A movement on the other side of the living room caught his eye though. There was enough moonlight streaming through the window for him to see Daryl slumped in the big chair, a half-bottle of moonshine clutched in his arms. He almost seemed to be holding the alcohol lovingly.

Squinting at the unconscious man, Merle's addled brain tried to figure out just why the hell his brother would be sleeping out in the living room and not in his bedroom. Or even in Carol's bedroom, for that matter. Turning his head slowly so as not to hurt his already fragile head, he saw that Daryl's bedroom door was closed. Not a normal occurrence. Was Carol inside? Had the two of them had a fight?

Merle clenched his jaw. That idiot better not have messed up things with Carol. She was the best thing that had ever happened to them. He included himself in that thought as she had been one of the first in this town to trust him enough with giving him the responsibility of running her farm.

He started to stomp his way over to his brother, intending to tip that chair up and spill his ass right onto the floor and get an answer for this disturbing arrangement. Unfortunately, it only took three angry steps for Merle's brain to start protesting painful. He needed to stop and steady himself against the wall before he passed out. The soldier's hat, which had miraculously stayed on his head the entire walk home, fell off and rolled across the room.

No, he'd deal with Daryl in the morning. Then he proceeded to stagger to his bedroom and collapse in his bed fully clothed.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The sunlight hurt Merle's eyes. Breathing hurt his body. Moving hurt his head. Yet, he knew he had to get his ass out of bed. He had a job to do and even though he had a lot of leeway with it, he knew getting drunk was not a good excuse for neglecting the farm. He groaned loudly as he pulled himself up and got ready for work. He had this nagging idea that there was something he was forgetting. It bothered him.

After splashing some water over his face from the bowl he kept in his bedroom, he felt somewhat better. He needed coffee though, strong coffee. Out in the kitchen, he was happy to find that Daryl had already made some. He moaned happily as the hot liquid splashed down his aching throat. He needed to remember not to drink so much, even when he was having as much fun as he'd been having the night before.

"Good morning!" a cheerful but unfamiliar voice chirped behind him.

Merle choked on the coffee, coughing up some of it on his shirt. He brushed at it burning his chest underneath with an ineffective hand. Then his eyes landed on the pretty, young Indian woman smiling at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Do you want me to wash that shirt?" she asked sweetly.

"Nah, I get dirtier than this at work on a good day. Ain't nobody gonna notice a little stain." He frowned at her. "No offense, little lady, but who the hell are you and what the hell are you doin' in ma house?"

"Oh, I thought this was Daryl's house!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's his too. He's ma baby brother. You here with him?" Merle questioned.

"Yes, my name is Rushing Water but you can just call me Water. I am his betrothed," she said matter-of-factly.

Merle choked again, this time without there being anything in his mouth. "You two are getting' hitched?" he coughed, his voice strained.

"Hitched?" Water crinkled her brow. "I thought that word meant attaching a wagon to a horse?"

"Yeah, well, it can also mean gettin' married," Merle said, wiping his mouth as he began to recover from the shock of her words.

"Oh, slang! I'm sorry, I haven't fully learned this language yet. As you are my betrothed's brother, is there anything I can do to serve you as well?" She smiled demurely at him.

Merle knew there was probably a joke that could have been made at that offer but his mind was seething at what he'd just learned. "Can ya tell me where ma idiot brother is?" he said between clenched teeth.

"He's outside with the horses. I tried to help but he asked me to go back inside. I think he likes his space," she said. It sounded like his brother had been patient with her based on how she stated it but in reality, Daryl had practically taken her head off when she'd followed him outside. She'd scurried back into the house for fear of his temper.

"Thank you," Merle told her and marched outside the back door. Daryl was right where she had said, in the horse pasture mucking out the small structure that would barely fit both Sky and the new horse. He was stabbing the pitchfork angrily at the hay, not noticing his older brother headed him way.

Merle came up behind him and proceeded to whack Daryl hard across the back of his head.

"Ow!" cried Daryl, dropping the pitchfork and gripping onto his wounded skull. He spun around and faced a disgruntled Merle. "What the fuck do you think yer doin'?" Daryl yelled at him.

"What the fuck do _you_ think yer doin'?" Merle threw the question back at his little brother. "Why the hell do you have an Indian fiancé in our house? Is that why you slept in the chair last night? Have you completely fucked up things with Carol?" Merle was getting more and more enraged as he barked out the questions. It culminated with Merle kicking his stupid brother in the shin.

"Shit!" Daryl screamed, his hands going from his head down to his shin. He didn't fight back though, his face one of distress. After a moment, he said in a tense voice, "The Sioux gave her to me. I didn't have a choice. They said I would dishonor them all if I refused her!"

"And what about Carol? Ya gonna go marry this girl just so they won't be pissed at ya? Leave Carol?" Merle interrogated him.

"No, I would never leave Carol! I… I love… She's the one I want, not the one inside," Daryl said miserably. "I just don't know what to do!"

Merle shook his head, realizing just what a difficult predicament his brother had gotten himself into. "Well, you'd better make sure Carol don't find out about yer _betrothed _in there. She might be charming and gentle usually but I bet she'll rip yer balls off if she finds out about what you've committed yerself to behind her back."

Daryl winced, knowing he'd deserve whatever Carol dished out to him for his behavior.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi all! So it turns out I have wi-fi access from the hotel in Hershey! I wrote a good portion of this chapter while standing in line for the rides at the park. It was lots of fun but now I've got to go to class.

Second, big congrats to all the winner of the Caryl Fan Fiction Contest sponsored by the amazing SOA Loving Mom! I saw a few stories on there I have no read yet so I must get on that. Huge thanks to all of you who voted for "Hell Fire Quarry". I can't tell you how ridiculously happy it makes me to know people really seemed to like that story. Even if you didn't vote for me though, thanks for voting and supporting all the authors on here. Love you all!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 5**

The rooster crowed loudly outside, announcing to the world that the day was upon them. The sky brightened rapidly as the sun rose in the east. It was going to be another beautiful day after all the torrential rains two days before.

Carol groaned softly as she drifted out of sleep. Stretching out her body languidly, she could hear little cracks in her joints as she started to get them moving. Her arm went to the opposite side of the bed, running over the pillow. She felt a stab of disappointment to find it empty. He hadn't come to her last night.

As fast as the feeling came, she shoved it away. Daryl had gone to the Sioux tribe yesterday and there was no telling what would happen with that meeting. He'd told her about the ritual in the sweat lodge triggering the spirit journey. Most likely, he'd become involved in some native ritual or hunt and ended up staying the night there. Nothing to worry about.

It's not like she would ever pressure him anyway. He had always been such a loner and if he needed a night away from her, she would never fault him for that. She would not make demands on his time or his love. She had told him she loved him and even though he hadn't been ready to tell her the same words, she had an idea that he did feel the same. The last week had been the happiest time of her life with him. Other than when she was teaching at the school or he was out hunting, they were together. The nights spent together were more amazing than anything she could have ever imagined. Sex with Ed had been something to be avoided or to just get through it when it had been forced upon her. Sex with Daryl had brought her to new highs of pleasure that she found herself craving now.

A little knock sounded on her door. Before she could answer, Sophia shoved open the door and came bounding onto the bed. The girl squirmed into her arms lovingly, still dressed in her pajamas and her hair sticking up at odd angles.

"Good morning, mommy!" she squealed happily.

"Good morning, honey," Carol answered, trying to smooth down her daughter's unruly locks. "You know you're supposed to wait until you're invited you in before you come through the door. Remember?"

Sophia rolled her eyes. There had been a time when her father had still been alive that Sophia would never have dared to come into the bedroom without being invited. The repercussions of such an action would have been horrid and painful. Yet, now she came and went of her own accord. Carol couldn't help to be glad that Sophia was so comfortable with Daryl and even though Daryl acted all put out when the little girl came in unexpectedly, he usually ended up tickling her until she couldn't breathe and went running back to her own room.

Carol and Daryl had both learned a valuable lesson from this new behavior by Sophia. About two nights after the herd attack, the girl had come into their bedroom in the middle of the night crying. She'd had a nightmare that they hadn't succeeded, all of them being bit like Otis and turning into the terrifying wendigos. Unfortunately, Carol and Daryl had fallen asleep after some adult activities, clutched in each other's arms, completely naked. It had been especially awkward for Daryl when she'd crawled into bed that night, wanting to cuddle. From then on, the door was locked during such activities and, at minimum, underwear put back on afterwards. Plus, they were trying to train Sophia to wait until being invited in before throwing open the door but they were not as successful with that.

"But Daryl's not even here, Mom." Sophia paused and then frowned at her. "Why isn't Daryl here?"

Carol smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry. He was with the Indians. I'm sure he'll be back soon." She took comfort in her own words then she pushed the little girl towards the edge of the bed as she sat up. "Time to get ready for school."

After getting dressed and having breakfast, the two of them set out for the little school house. She felt like something was missing and realized it was because Daryl usually walked with them. She shook her head, admonishing herself for having become so attached to him. He would probably have been appalled to know how much she missed him when he'd only been gone for one day.

Sophia was picking a little bouquet of wildflowers by the side of the road, dawdling on her way to school. Carol had been absorbed in her thoughts, walking a little ahead as she turned from the path leading from her farm onto the main road.

"Merle!" she heard Sophia cry happily behind her. Turning, she saw her farm manager freeze in the middle of the road. He had a guilty look on his face, like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Carol couldn't help but grin at him, figuring he was worried about being caught coming late to work. He still hadn't gotten quite used to her as the boss, not remembering that he didn't have to avoid her the way he always avoided Ed. As long as he got the job done, which he somehow always seemed to accomplish, she was happy.

"Morning, Merle," she greeted him. He looked a little worse for wear, a bit hungover, but he relaxed some at her kind greeting. Sophia jogged over to him and handed him one of her collected flowers.

This got a smile out of him at her sweetness. "Morning' darlin'." He tipped his hat to Carol. "Boss lady," he addressed her. His tone was halfway between serious and joking.

Carol clucked at him, amused. "Merle, you know it's just plain, old Carol."

"Carol, ain't nothin' plain nor old about ya," Merle stated. "Don't quite know how ya done it but ya certainly have kept ma brother's interest with yer feminine wiles."

Carol blushed and Sophia giggled at that. She decided to ignore his comment, knowing just how entertained he'd be to get a rise out of her. Instead, she changed the topic to the one subject that had been occupying her mind all morning. She tried to be nonchalant when she asked the question. "So did Daryl stay with the Sioux or did he end up getting drunk on moonshine with you last night?"

Merle's entire demeanor changed back to the one of nervousness and guilt. It actually looked like he broke out into a slight sweat. "What? Oh, Daryl...um. Yeah, he's...ahh... I don't know where that boy got to!" Merle stammered out.

Carol could tell he was lying and it made her smile a little. Daryl must have drank a lot with his older brother and been too out of it to drag his ass over to her house. Why else would he lie? She found it cute that Merle was getting all flustered protecting Daryl. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll see him when the hangover wears off."

Merle cleared his throat. "You ladies need a walk to school?" he offered.

"Nah, Sophia and I can find it on our own," she joked. "Plus, I know there are a bunch of hungry chickens and a cow practically bursting at the seams waiting on you."

He barked out a laugh. "Better mosey my way down there quick, I reckon." He tipped his hat to them and strolled away, smelling the flower Sophia had given him.

As they continued on their way to school, Carol decided she was going to do something nice for Merle. After that fateful night she'd spent with Daryl at the little house, she was determined to help the guys fix it up. She hoped that someday, Daryl would move in with her permanently but that was not a subject she was going to bring up yet and possibly scare him off. Until then, she would do as much as she could to add a level of hominess to their residence. She doubted Merle would mind as it could only help his chances with Karen. Those two had been spending an awful lot of time together.

She'd just finished the first project, curtains. There was one set each for all the windows, including the one in the living room, kitchen and both bedrooms. She had hoped to make them a surprise but Daryl was too darn observant and had walked into her tiny sewing room while she was making them. Luckily, he'd approved. She hadn't done anything fancy, no frills or lace, knowing it wouldn't be appreciated by the men. For the color, she'd picked a solid forest green, Daryl's favorite. It had just a thin strip of white around the border.

Yes, this afternoon when school was finished would be the perfect time to hang those curtains.

**XXXXXXX**

Daryl had spent the majority of the day hunting in the forest. He'd had to escape the house, feeling like he was being smothered by Water's persistent questions. Out in clear air, he could just pretend like his problems didn't exist.

He did feel kind of bad for acting like an asshole. She'd been thrown into this strange world and didn't know how anything worked. He wasn't exactly a helpful person to begin with and it was even worse with her. Every time he looked at her, he felt like he was being stabbed in the gut for betraying Carol

The time away had definitely relaxed him. He'd even tracked down a small mule deer, which he'd lugged back to the house. After dressing it, he divided the meat into two piles. One pile he would cook right now for them to all eat in the next few days. The rest of it he would take over to Morgan Jones' farm. They had the best smokehouse in town in order to preserve the meat.

Standing at his back door, he briefly thought about not going inside. Maybe he could just move the meat over to Carol's house and cook it there. It had been over a day since he'd seen her and it was really starting to wear on him. No, he needed to at least do one responsible thing today and make sure Water was okay before he abandoned her for the night.

When he walked into the living room, he just about had a heart attack at the scene before him. Carol and Water were standing there, staring at each other. Carol must have just come in because the front door was standing wide open just behind her. Her arms were loaded down with the green curtains she'd been making for the house along with some repurposed wooden poles she was going to use to hang them. The look on her face showed she'd been caught off-guard by Water's presence.

Water, who's back was to Daryl, stood in the middle of the room facing Carol. Her body posture was tense but Daryl could not see her face. She was actually wearing a long dress similar in style to the one Carol wore, not her traditional Sioux outfit she'd come in. This must have been the dress she'd spoke of previously that she'd brought in an effort to fit in.

The moment seemed to draw out forever but it was probably only a few seconds. Carol was the first to recover. She dropped the materials on the closest chair and then closed the front door. Turning back to Water, a bright smile lit her face. "Hi! I'm Carol. I own the farm next door," she said, her voice very friendly. She stuck out her right hand towards Water.

Water seemed to relax, taking Carol's hand in her own. She just kind of held Carol's hand instead of shaking it and releasing it as would be expected. Then she spoke in her accented sing-song voice. "Hello, Carol. I am Rushing Water. I am Daryl Dixon's betrothed."

The smile fell off Carol's face at those words. She just blinked at Water, her hand still trapped by the young woman. Then her eyes shifted to Daryl standing behind Water. He was emphatically shaking his head and crossing his arms in front of him in the universal "no" motion. Her brows drew together. Water turned around, spotting Daryl behind her. He quickly ceased all his motions and stared up at the ceiling in utter misery.

Carol's eyes went back to Water. As she carefully disengaged her hand, she smiled again. Daryl noticed this smile did not seem to make it up to her eyes. "Would you let me talk to Daryl for just one minute alone?" Without waiting for a response, Carol walked past the Indian squaw and right past Daryl out the back door. Daryl threw a frown at Water, who looked back at him innocently, then followed Carol out the door. He slammed it shut harder than he meant to.

Her face was indescribable as she eyed him. He just could not figure out what was going on in her head. He just started blurting out what he was thinking instead.

"Listen, don't freak out. This ain't what it seems like. They gave her to me. As a reward. Said I'd be dishonorin' all of them if I rejected her. I didn't know what ta do!" he rambled, hoping some of what he was saying penetrated into her mind.

She bit her bottom lip and for a moment, he thought she was going to start crying. It was horrible, knowing he was the one who had caused that pain for her. His stomach clenched and he was about to reach out for her, hoping that she wouldn't shove him away in anger. "Oh god Carol, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."

Then giggles exploded from hereHesHEShe

. He stared at her, confused by such a reaction. The laughter just poured out of her and she doubled over, grabbing his arm as she gasped for breath. Her face was turning red with her hysterics. He smiled tentatively at her, still unsure of what to think but assuming this was better than crying.

She gasped for air, the giggles finally starting to resolve. "Oh Daryl, I know you. I know you'd never ask for something like this. I can't believe they just gave you a wife!" she giggled again.

His smile widened. "She ain't my wife and never will be," he grumbled as he drew Carol further into his arms.

"Obviously they really thought they owed you! What are you going to do about it?" she asked as her hand rubbed against his chest.

"I'm gonna take care of it. Promise," he assured her.

She grinned at him. "I know you will," she said with confidence. Then she started to pull away from him.

His hands came up, cupping her face to stop her. He looked her right in the eyes. "You gotta be the most understandin' woman ever," he told her in all seriousness.

"Yeah, I know," she said, the laughter returning.

Then he kissed her. It was passionate as the worst of his fears left him. She knew the secret and she hadn't kicked his ass. She hadn't cried. Most of all, she hadn't left him. He kissed her more, like a dehydrated man who was desperate for water.

Unknown to the two of them, Water watched them through the window in the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed the threat to her future nuptials.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey all! I just need to put a little preface to this chapter so you can understand where I am coming from. This chapter is designed to delve more into the character of Water. If any of you read my story "The Green-Eyed Monster", the character of Shannon was shallow and the reader was supposed to go from hating her to indifference. I want Water to be different from that. I want her to be a multifaceted character where you have to think about your feelings towards her. I will add though, for all those that may be worrying about it, this is most definitely a CARYL story, as all my stories are.

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 6**

Merle woke up to one of the worst sounds he'd ever heard: a woman crying. He groaned, rolled over and shoved his pillow over his head. It wasn't enough to block out the noise. The high-pitched wailing seemed to penetrate into his skull. He glanced over to the window and saw that the sun was up but just barely.

He knew it was Water crying. Cursing his brother, he dragged himself out of bed and got dressed. It seemed to be coming from right behind his bedroom door, like she was deliberately positioned there to wake him up with her distress. More likely she was in the kitchen, which was the next room over.

That was exactly where he found her when he yanked his door open. He paused, taking in the entire kitchen. The place was a mess. It looked like there had been a fire with black soot everywhere. Water sat in the middle of the floor, bawling. She was also covered in black soot, her tears streaking through it as they ran down her face. Her only settler's dress was disgusting, a combination of black soot, water and cooking residue smeared into the fabric.

"What the fuck happened in here?" Merle asked incredulously to her.

Water paused for a moment, going silent as she looked up at him with red and puffy eyes. Then she started hiccupping out an explanation. "I just wanted to help! My betrothed won't show me how to cook in your hearth or wash the clothing or anything. He was gone when I woke up so I thought I could clean out the hearth chimney to surprise him. I didn't know it would be like this!" She dissolved back into weeping, her arm sweeping across the blackened room. "And I ruined my only dress!" she choked out.

Merle ran a hand over his tired face, trying to figure out what to do. Damn it, was he actually going to have be the responsible brother here? He was so used to Daryl handling situations like this. Of course, it was usually his doing when they had previously gotten into these kinds of circumstances. Not this time. Where the fuck was his brother anyways and why had he just left this woman here to get into trouble?

An idea suddenly popped into his head and it made him smirk a little. Turning away from Water, he went out back and filled a bucket with water from the barrel. Then he grabbed a whole bunch of rags. Carrying it back inside, he plopped it down in the floor right at her feet. A little splashed over the top and wet her dress again but that didn't matter much now. He piled the rags next to the bucket. She was watching him with wide, shiny eyes.

"Start scrubbin'," he told her and headed for the front door.

She frowned at the bucket and rags. "Can't you help me?" she called after him in a pleading voice.

"Don't you worry, little lady! Imma gonna bring ya back help!" he yelled back just before the door shut behind him.

Normally, Merle would have gone to Carol with a problem like this. She was right next door and usually more than willing to help with anything. This kind of thing would have been right up her alley and she would have treated the poor woman with compassion. Unfortunately, this was a delicate situation and Carol was probably not the best choice when it came to Daryl's betrothed. Even though Daryl had told him how understanding Carol had been when she found out about Water's presence yesterday, he didn't want to poke the bear anymore than necessary when dealing with the subject of another woman moving in on her territory.

So Merle went to the next best choice, Karen. It had been two days since he'd seen her because she was so busy with the Union soldiers' horses but she had promised not to completely neglect him before the work had started. Now might be the time to test that statement, Merle mused as he traveled into the army camp. It took a little maneuvering around tents, cooking fires and drilling fighters to find the temporary stables.

There she was, skirt hiked up, leather apron covering her thighs and a large horse hoof held securely between her legs. Her hair was pulled up but strands of it were falling down into her face and she occasionally blew them out her eyes when they got in the way. A smudge of dirt graced one of her cheeks but she was oblivious. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He stood there for a minute, just watching as she worked. She expertly cleaned out the grooves of the hoof then motioned for Noah to pass her some trimmers to clean up the edges. Her father worked on another horse nearby and Noah was assisting both of them.

When she carefully put the horses hoof down, she stood up straight and stretched her back. He walked a few steps closer and she noticed him. Instantly she broke out into a smile.

"Merle!" she cried out happily as ran over to him, kissing him on the cheek. It was not a dainty, little kiss either because Karen didn't do dainty. He could feel the slide of her soft lips against his stubble and it made him turn a little red as her son and father both looked on, smiling. "I thought we were going to meet up at the saloon later."

"Darlin', I need ya now. Got something I can't handle by my lonesome," he told her cryptically.

Her one eyebrow went up with interest as she pursed her lips at him in consideration. Then, as if coming to a decision, she turned back around. "We've only got the one horse left, right Daddy?"

William had also just finished with his horse's hooves and was trying in vain to crack his back. He'd gotten very stiff over the last few days from all the extra work. "Yeah, just that one," he indicated the Thoroughbred waiting off to the side.

"Why don't you let Noah do it while you guide him?" she suggested.

Noah's face instantly brightened. "Really? I could do it by myself?"

William bit the inside of his lip, contemplating this occurrence. "Yeah," he said finally. "I think you're old enough to start doing the family trade on your own." Noah whooped loudly, practically ripping his mom's leather apron out of her hand as she passed it to him. "Course," William spoke up again, getting his grandson's attention. "I will be watching ya like a hawk, kid." The boy nodded seriously and the two men got to work on the last horse.

Karen looped her arm through Merle's as they strolled off back towards town. "So ya need me, huh? Ya need me ta handle something for ya right now, huh?" she said coyly, mimicking his accent.

"Yep, something only you could help me with," he said back, just as mysteriously. She giggled and they walked back to his house. Occasionally her hand would drift up his arm to rub his neck or she'd blow hot breath into his ear. It was starting to drive him crazy, making him want to do more than he had planned for her.

As soon as they got inside the door, she spun around and kissed him full on the mouth. He was caught off guard but her sweet lips completely distracted him. Her tongue was just starting to drag across his bottom lip when a small voice coming through the kitchen doorway interrupted them.

"Merle? Is that you?"

Karen pulled away from him, confused. "Who's that?"

Merle sighed, knowing that would be the end of the kissing for now. "That's Water. She's Daryl's betrothed." Bringing her eyebrows together, Karen looked even more confused. "Long story," he mumbled.

Before Karen could say anything else, Water came into the living room. She was still filthy, her hair now a jumbled mess. There was still black soot covering her practically head to toe. She looked shyly at the two of them.

"I think I got most of it cleaned up," she said tentatively.

"What happened to you?" Karen exclaimed. She gave Water a look of sympathy and Merle couldn't help but smirk internally. He'd made the perfect choice and he only felt a little bad about deceiving her.

"She had a bit of a fight with the hearth chimney," he said as he started inching towards the front door. "As ya can see, she needs some help with her dress. And cookin'. And cleanin'. You can help her with all that, right?"

Karen stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "This is what you needed me for so badly? To take care of your brother's fiancé?"

"I can't exactly ask Carol, now can I?" he threw back at her as he opened the front door. "I gotta go to work now so you ladies have fun together!"

Karen rolled her eyes. "Don't think there won't be retribution for this, Merle Dixon!" she called after him. Her only answer was the closing of the door.

Water looked at her sheepishly and Karen felt sorry for the poor young woman. "Welcome to Quarry, Water. I'm Karen." Sighing deeply, she motioned for Water to show her the progress she'd made in cleaning the kitchen. The room actually looked pretty good, although she hadn't seen it when it had been soot-covered. Karen nodded approvingly, eliciting a slight proud smile from Water.

Eyeing her critically, Karen decided that if she was going to be forced into service, she was going to make herself comfortable at the Dixon residence. Invading Daryl's bedroom, she confiscated one of the hunter's shirts and told Water to strip out of her filthy dress. In just his shirt and her underskirts, which also could have used a cleaning too, they searched high and low for the wash bin. It was finally discovered in a neglected alcove on the side of the house. The wash board was old and cracked, both women groaning when they saw it. Even the box of lye soap was almost empty.

"Okay, here's the plan," Karen explained. "You're going to wash this dress and hang it up on that line there to dry. Then you are going to take the bath soap and wash out your hair. While you're doing that, I'm going to get a few dresses of mine that I don't wear anymore for you. You're a little taller than me so the sleeves and length might be somewhat short but they should work until you can make your own. Then we're going to the General Store. We're going to buy you the things you need in this house, all on the Dixon brothers' tab," she said decisively.

Water looked like she was going to cry with tears of joy. Finally, someone was helping her! "Thank you, Karen! I promise I'll do whatever you say!"

Karen smiled warmly at the eager squaw and then got her started on scrubbing. It didn't take nearly as much time to get back to the Greene farm guest house. There had been some discussion of them staying on permanently, especially with all the devastation in the area. Karen couldn't say she would be adverse to that. Traveling around was becoming cumbersome and she had to admit that she really dreading leaving Merle behind. The rough man had somehow wormed his way right into her affections.

Her father and son were relaxing in the living room, all the army's horses taken care of for now. The two of them sat up as she came into the door.

"You're back sooner than expected," her father grunted. "Merle piss you off or did you just get bored of his come-ons?"

Noah snorted at his grandfather's comment and Karen snorted. "Don't ask." She went to the closet in her bedroom and pulled out three dresses from the back that she had been planning on giving away. Now she'd found the perfect person desperately in need of them.

"You two just gonna lay around for the rest of the day?" she directed at their lazy positions.

"Nah. We're probably gonna help Herschel with the new barn. It's almost done and he wants it all ready for the wedding this weekend," Noah answered.

"Good. Now I have to get back to…a project I'm working on." Half waving to them with her hands loaded down with clothing, she rushed back out the door, yelling "Don't wait up for me!"

Once she made it back to the Dixon's little house, she got Water dressed and presentable for a trip into town. A predicted, the dress was a little short, stopping at her mid-forearm and mid-calf, but it was presentable enough until she could make more of her own. There would be fabric and sewing supplies at the General Store. She couldn't help but smirk evilly at the tab she was going to be running up in the Dixon's name. Payback could be such a bitch and that wasn't all she had planned either.

On the way into town, Water asked so many questions about Quarry. Karen tried to answer them as best she could. Even though she was hoping to become a resident of the special little town, she was still a relatively newcomer as well. At one point, Karen just couldn't hold her tongue any longer. Her own questions for Water came bursting out.

"Did Daryl Dixon actually propose to you?" She just could not see the silent, often hostile man getting down on one knee ask this woman to marry him. Not to mention that he just seemed so in love with Carol.

Water's cheeks colored a little. "No. I was his reward for saving our tribe. His spirit animal, Sky, warned us of the coming wendigo herd. The Great Spirits chose me for this honor."

Karen nodded, getting a clearer understanding of how she came to be there. "So they presented you to him and he took you home?"

"Well, he did seem to hesitate some but the elders advised him of what a great dishonor it would be if he were to reject me."

"He's been difficult for you, hasn't he?" Karen asked, concerned.

Water bit her bottom lip. "I know that I have not yet won his affections. But I will earn them! I will show him that I can be a good wife. I can bear him many strong sons and be worthy of his name. I just need to learn. I will make the Great Spirits proud of me."

Karen touched her arm, stopping them in the middle of the road. "You were forced into this. Was there another plan you had wanted to follow, maybe another someone you wanted to be with, before you were chosen for this honor?"

Taking a deep breath, Water's eyes darted over the horizon and then back to Karen. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it suddenly, reconsidering. Then she shook her head and whispered, "It doesn't matter what I wanted before. I have been chosen for this path and I must follow it. I will fight for the husband I have been promised to."

Giving her a sad look, Karen answered, "Just remember, Water. You may not want to fight so hard for someone who's not going to fight for you."

Water stared at her for a moment before nodding and then restarting their movement into town in silence. Lost in thought, she had a feeling that Karen's words were good advice. She couldn't help thinking about that woman she'd seen her betrothed kissing. She wondered who Daryl would end up fighting for.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for reading! I am going to be throwing in some more tension with this chapter.

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 7**

The bright afternoon sun was getting hot as the days moved into summer. Several soldiers were moving around town, visiting the saloon and the General Store. They were laughing and smiling as they conducted routine errands or spent time relaxing at the bar. It was obvious how much they missed civilization, being out on the road for so long battling the walking dead.

Carol strolled down the main thoroughfare of Quarry, a large basket of eggs clutched in her hands. Many of the soldiers nodded their hats politely at her as she passed by. Carol nodded back to them, more secure with their presence in town and the fact that no wendigos had been spotted since the great barn burning.

At the very end of the short row of storefronts that constituted the town center, Carol spotted Michonne sitting just outside the old blacksmith's workshop. The dark woman was eyeing the soldiers suspiciously and they seemed to be keeping clear of her. Even though Sheriff Rick had unofficially pardoned her in the town of Quarry, he did not have the authority to overrule the awful Slave Act of 1850. Technically, if any of the soldiers discovered she was an escaped slave with a bounty on her head, they could have hauled her back to Georgia. Luckily for her, these soldiers were more concerned with the undead than any live human offenders.

Michonne's face lightened when she saw Carol coming towards her. Some might have even argued she smiled at the woman who had hidden her in the attic just a couple weeks earlier. However, it was hard to tell on such a stoic face. No matter, Carol could tell that Michonne was pleased to see her.

"Hi," Carol greeted her. "How are the renovations going?"

"Good. Tyreese has been practicing and even though his technique was crap the first time, he's definitely improving," she commented.

When all of them had been fighting for their lives from the splinter group of wendigos at the Peletier farm, Michonne had really impressed Tyreese and Sasha with her sword skills. In fact, it almost seemed like there were instant sparks between Tyreese and Michonne. In no time, the former slave seemed to be absorbed right into that little family.

Since all of the surrounding towns had been destroyed by the monsters and it was very unsure when the supply wagons would restart, it had been decided that the abandoned blacksmith workshop needed to be reopened. Having done some early apprentice work in a similar facility as a teenager, Tyreese was confident he could get the place back into working order with Sasha and Michonne's help.

For the past week, the three of them had been working non-stop. They'd cleaned out all the old debris, gotten the workstations prepped and loaded all new wood and coal into the furnace. The actual workshop was set fairly far behind the storefront to limit the risk of fire from sparks. Above the storefront was a small apartment that the three of them had taken up residence. Carol was unsure about the sleeping arrangements and it wasn't her place to ask.

"So I'm going to be able to put in an order for a new walking plow, huh?" Carol teased her.

Michonne chuckled, a smirk coming to her lips. "Let's see how he does with horseshoes first and work up to something as complicated as a plow. Maybe next year, I'd say."

Carol laughed, glad to able to joke around with the serious woman. Reaching into her basket, she pulled out three eggs and handed them to Michonne. "Here, I've got some extras. Enjoy!"

A true smile graced Michonne's lips. "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice low from emotion. The former slave was still not used to people being kind towards her.

"It's nothing, really," Carol assured her but noticed that Michonne did not see it as nothing. "You're welcome," she added with a bright smile.

Waving good-bye, Carol turned around to head back to her original destination: the saloon.

Pushing through the swinging doors, she carefully cradled the basket protectively. Even though it was the middle of the afternoon and usually the place would be dead, there was a host of Army soldiers hanging out in the place. A lively game of darts was going on in one corner, the men apparently having brought their own board and darts. T-Dog was pouring drinks, which Amy was in the process of serving around the room. Milton, who appeared to be interviewing one of the Union officers at the far end of the bar, waved at her before going back to scribbling notes in his pad.

"Hi Carol!" Amy greeted her warmly as she finished laying down the last of the glasses at a table hosting some men playing a dice game.

Carol hoisted the large basket on to the counter. "I've got your weekly egg order," she reported. "I added a few extra. I heard you and Andrea are going to be making the cake for Maggie and Glenn's wedding this weekend so I figured you could use them."

"Thank you! Yes, we've got quite the baking project ahead of us. You know Doc Greene invited the entire town along with all the Army officers now as well. I'm surprised he didn't invite the entire army camp!" Amy stated in an unbelieving tone.

"Well, this will be the first happy event in Quarry since we were all faced with the possibility of imminent danger. I think Herschel wants to include everyone in this happy affair," Carol offered. "Plus, I am sure he wants to show off that brand new barn they built. I heard it is practically done now."

"Yeah, I'm definitely interested in seeing the new barn. I heard it is even bigger than the old one!" Amy exclaimed. Then she frowned. "Why do you think Maggie and Glenn are getting married so soon? I mean, they just got engaged. Why rush things? They could have just thrown a party to show off the barn instead of having a whole wedding."

Carol shrugged. "I can understand not wanting to wait. Those two are so in love and they want to put that official seal on their lives together. After what we've all been through, who knows when that threat might return. We have to live now and not put off what we want just because we're afraid of the future."

Amy touched her shoulder lightly. "For a moment there, it sounded like you weren't just talking about Maggie and Glenn."

With a shy smile, Carol said "I lived in fear for so long. I'm not going to live like that anymore."

From the back room, Andrea emerged with her arms laden down with several plates piled high with food. She caught Carol's eye. "Don't you move, young lady," she warned her in a serious tone. Carol couldn't help but giggle a little at Andrea's statement. She was still a few years older than the saloon owner.

After serving up the hungry, gracious men, she whirled around and grabbed Carol's wrist. Holding tightly, she hauled the woman up the stairs to her private apartment. Amy just grinned after her, both of them knowing it was useless to fight her sister when the woman demanded your attention.

Slamming the door closed, Andrea turned on Carol. "Who the hell is Rushing Water? Why is she walking around town claiming to be Daryl's betrothed?" Her voice was almost accusatory and Carol wasn't quite sure if it was being directed at her or Daryl. "Dale told me she was shopping with Karen in his store and using Dixon credit!"

Raising up her hands in a conciliatory manner, she shook her head. "Calm down. It's not what you think it is." Carol felt a stab of disappointment at the knowledge that Water was still here. She had been hoping that Daryl would have taken care of it already but she knew it was unrealistic to expect such fast results. It was a delicate situation that had to be handled carefully and Daryl wasn't exactly known for his negotiation skills. This inquisition was not going to help but at least she could diffuse Andrea here and now before her best friend caused a bigger problem all in the name of defending Carol's honor.

"Then what is it? Because it sure looks like Daryl got himself an Indian bride behind your back. Is he sleeping with her?" Andrea spat out.

"No!" Carol cried, believing that absolutely. "She was given to him as a gift," Carol explained. "The tribe wanted to honor him for saving their lives through Sky's warning and they knew he wasn't married. It's supposed to be a great honor."

"And what about you? He didn't bother to mention when they handed this woman over to him that he was already courting someone?" Andrea muttered.

"Come on, Andrea. You know Daryl isn't exactly a master wordsmith. Sometimes he still had trouble talking to me! Can you imagine him having to speak up and say no to this great honor the Sioux tribe were rewarding him with? He probably was having a heart attack at the time. I bet he hasn't even spoken ten words to this poor woman," Carol retorted.

Andrea pointed a finger at her. "Don't you call her a poor woman, Carol. She's going around town announcing to everyone that she is engaged to YOUR man. That makes her dangerous. You need to keep that in mind. I'm always suspicious of a man who keeps options like this open, despite what he says."

"Well, I trust Daryl," Carol stated firmly. "If he says I'm the one he wants and he's going to fix this, I believe him. He probably just needs a little more time."

"And if he decides to keep her?" Andrea pushed.

"He won't." Then she paused, her head hurting at the mere suggestion of it. "If he does, then obviously I wasn't really the one he wanted. After being so long with someone I didn't want to be with, I will never force someone to stay with me against their will." She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the sudden tension in her head at even having to say those words. She deeply loved Daryl and the idea of losing him to this Indian woman made her head ache painfully.

Andrea's features softened and she drew her best friend into a hug. "I don't think he's going to leave you for her, not ever. It's just when Dale told me what she said, I got so angry for you. I wanted to go slap some sense into her. You two have been so happy but only for such a short time and here she comes like an evil spirit to try to ruin it all."

"Thank you, sweetie," Carol said as she drew herself out of Andrea's embrace.

"Just so you know, you might be content to just let him leave if he keeps her but I promise you that I am going to kick his ass for betraying you. I might even shoot him in the ass with one of his own arrows," Andrea warned her, a smile on her face.

Carol laughed, feeling better. "If he does leave me, I'll cheer you on when you do it."

"Come on, I'll unload all those eggs so you can have your basket back. With all the soldiers here and the big wedding coming so soon, we definitely needed the extra supplies," Andrea said, taking her hand more gently than before and leading her downstairs.

It appeared that Milton was just finishing up his interview with the Union officer and he waved Andrea and Carol over.

"Ladies, I'd like to introduce Lieutenant Andrew Flynn. He's the man in charge of this entire unit that has been tirelessly working to wipe out the wendigo threat in these parts," Milton introduced the handsome man dressed sharply in a navy blue uniform.

"Just doing our best to protect the good people of this country," he said as he stood up, an enticing smile on his face. He took Andrea's hand in his big one and gently kissed the back of her hand. "You must be the lovely Andrea who Milton is always going on about. He is quite smitten with you and I can understand why. Owner of this fine establishment as well. I commend you on such delicious food and wonderful atmosphere."

Andrea could not have been smiling more at his compliments. Even Milton was beaming at her, his hand pressed on the small of her back. "She really is something, isn't she?" her beau Milton stated.

"You're a lucky man, Milton," the Lieutenant agreed. Then his chocolate brown eyes shifted to Carol, seeming to take her in with one sweeping glance. "And who is this beautiful creature we have here?"

Carol almost turned around, convinced he was observing some woman behind him. Before she could have any further doubts, he tenderly gripped her hand and brought it up to his lips. Carol could feel her face coloring as the kiss seemed to last just a moment longer than appropriate.

"This is Carol, the wonderful teacher of Quarry. She is working hard to educate all the young minds in town. She also owns one of the small farms on the outskirts of town," Milton advised the soldier, who still had not released her hand.

"A school marm, truly? Such a noble profession. I remember my own teacher being quite a sour old woman but I might have stuck with school a bit longer if I'd had a woman as pretty as you instructing me," he said coyly and kissed her hand again before finally releasing it.

Carol's shoulders shrugged up and she could feel herself violently blushing. She'd never had a stranger compliment her so unashamedly. "Thank you," she murmured as her eyes went to the floor shyly.

"You're welcome," he said, flashing a handsome smile at her. "If your students ever want a tour of the army camp or you'd like me to come speak to them about the workings of the military, I'm at your disposal. Call on me any time." He winked at her, causing her eyebrows to climb in surprise.

"I- I appreciate that," she stammered, feeling very uncomfortable at that moment. "I really must be going though. My daughter is waiting for me." She had this overwhelming need to get away from him, butterflies in her stomach.

Andrea squeezed her shoulder meaningfully. Then Carol grabbed her basket, which had thankfully already been emptied by Amy, and ran the hell away from the saloon.


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is so late. I had high hopes of finishing it during my lunch break at work on Friday but I got so slammed, I didn't even get a lunch break. Then we left that night to go down the Jersey shore. I was hoping to maybe write on the beach but the sun was way too bright to allow that. But here it is! Finally done. Stay tuned for the next chapter because I promise exciting things are coming there!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 8**

The dark clouds were only spitting a few drops of rain at a time but Daryl barely noticed it. He shook his head absentmindedly, water droplets spraying out all around him. His blue eyes were about as stormy as the sky above him as he walked down the road. He tried not to look over at the Peletier farm as he passed by it but it couldn't be helped. It had been four days since he'd been there and it felt like an eternity. He forced his feet to keep moving on to the Dixon house.

For the hundredth time that day, he muttered a curse at Merle. When his brother had told him about bringing Karen in for help with Water yesterday, he hadn't thought it was that big of a deal. At least there had been someone there to keep that woman out of trouble and he was glad it wasn't him. However, when he was in town today, he found out the extent of the damage that had been caused.

Karen had taken Water into town and the two of them had gone hog-wild shopping at the General Store. Fabric for new dresses, a new washboard, three different kinds of soap and some kind of female face cream had all been bought on his tab! It had practically drained his account. He knew that Water wasn't going to stay, that she was going to end up back with the tribe and she wasn't going to need all that stuff in the long run. He just had to grow a pair and send her back. Unfortunately, an image of himself getting scalped for dishonoring the Sioux flashed through his mind. He groaned unhappily.

The other problem with their excursion into town had been that Water's presence was now known to everyone. EVERYONE! Apparently, she had been rather open about just who she was and that she was betrothed to one Daryl Dixon. He had taken all the meat he'd hunted down to the Jones' farm that morning and Jenny Jones had actually congratulated him on his engagement. He'd gone red and had to mumble about it being a mistake. On his way back up past the saloon, Andrea was out sweeping the front. She'd given him the dirtiest look. She was Carol's best friend and he had a feeling that only Carol's understanding was keeping the fierce bar owner from doing more than glare at him. Knowing he deserved it, he'd just put his head down and kept moving.

The sounds of angry voices snapped him away from his gloomy thoughts as he came upon his house. Sitting on a large horse in front of the house was the hostile-looking brave that had meet him with Tom and Red Leaf that day Water was presented to him. Daryl still wasn't sure what his name was but it sure didn't look like the guy wanted to be friends. He yelled out several irate words in the Sioux language at Water, who stood in the doorway. Daryl couldn't understand any of it, just the tone.

Water answered back in the foreign tongue, her voice a mixture of annoyance and sadness. She appeared self-conscious, her eyes cast down and her fingers twisting nervously in her dress. As soon as she saw Daryl, she looked like she was going to cry.

The linebacker of an Indian turned his fierce gaze on Daryl and he shouted out more angry words that Daryl didn't understand. At the man's prompting, the horse lunged a few steps towards him but then pulled up quickly before getting close. It was a very threatening gesture and Daryl swung his crossbow off his back in response.

That seemed to garner at least a modicum of respect from the warrior as he eyed the weapon warily. His gaze shifted back to Water and Daryl thought he detected just a slight softening of the stern man's features. Daryl snorted, having an idea of what was going on and the complete irony of it. The brave seemed to dislike that reaction and whipped his head back towards Daryl. Pointing, he snarled and then spit grossly in the dirt. Water said something to him, which may have been meant to be soothing judging by the tone.

Daryl didn't care. He didn't want to deal with this. Pointing at Water instead, he yelled out "You want her! Take her!"

Water made a distressed whimpering sound, her face actually crumpling into tears. Then she spun around back into the house and slammed the door closed. The huge warrior looked even angrier at seeing that and glowered ferociously at Daryl. Suddenly, he twisted the horse around and took off like a whirlwind back in the direction of the Sioux camp.

Daryl really wished the man had listened to him. He didn't know exactly why the brave was there but he had a good idea. No matter the reason, the man had not been happy with the situation. Possibly almost as unhappy as Daryl was with it. How easy would it have been for him if the Indian had just taken Water with him?

He walked in the front door and was not very surprised to see his bedroom door closed. He could hear the young woman weeping loudly on the other side. Even though he rolled his eyes in frustration, he did feel a little bad. He had basically just blurted out that he didn't want her and he'd give to whoever came looking for her. Not matter that it was true, it was still cruel.

Briefly he considered saying he was sorry, going so far as to raise his hand to knock on the door. Yet, he stopped himself. He wasn't any good at comforting crying woman. He'd done it for Carol but she was so special to him that it was worth his discomfort. Despite this being his doing, he still couldn't force himself to be in such an awkward position. Not to mention he would hate it to be construed as him condoning her being there. No way did he want to lead her on.

Instead, he went out back. After kicking the shape out of a hay bale to release his pent-up frustration, he decided he needed to do something more productive. He proceeded to groom and massage both horses, muck out the enclosure and reload the hay bin for them. It was hard work but it made him feel a lot better to accomplish something.

The day was just starting to fade into twilight when he saw Merle come strolling down the road, a smug expression on his face. It pissed Daryl off.

"Hey ass wipe! Ya know yer woman spent all our money at the damn store buyin' woman shit. And now the whole fucking town knows about Water!" Daryl yelled at his approaching brother. "I thought Andrea was gonna kick my ass when I walked by the saloon."

Merle snickered at him, making him more irritated. "It's yer own damn fault, baby brother. Ya up and left that girl all by her lonesome and I had ta do somethin' with her. Karen was more than happy to take her off my hands." He paused, reconsidering his words. "Well, maybe not happy…" he mused.

Daryl grunted, "Don't care, not like she's stayin'. She don't need new dresses and washbins and face stuff."

"Ya keep sayin' that, little brother, but she's still here," Merle pointed out. "Ya don't know women very well, not like I do. Yur sendin' mixed messages all the way around."

"Mixed messages? How ya figure that? I ain't hardly spoke to her!" Daryl retorted.

"But ya ain't returned her yet! She's still seein' you as hers, her _betrothed_," he rolled the last word on his tongue, mocking Daryl with it.

Daryl ignored the taunt but listening to his words instead. "So even though I've been a fuckin' dick ta her, she still thinks I'm gonna marry her?" he snorted.

Merle pursed his lips, nodding. "She ain't been sent back so she still got hope that yer keepin' her. And have ya thought about Carol at all with this crap?"

"Carol's okay. She understands what I'm dealin' with," Daryl said with some amount of relief in his voice, running his fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, I'll admit that she is one special woman but don't assume that understandin' is gonna last forever. Ya got another woman livin' in yer house with ya, tellin' the whole town yer engaged ta her. Ya can't keep blowin' her off forever," Merle told him.

"I ain't blowin' her off," Daryl muttered. Then he paused, thinking about it. "Shit." He kicked the fence post, his temper fuming again knowing that his brother was right. Merle just chuckled.

Taking a deep breath, Daryl got himself under control. "Okay. The damn weddin' is in two days. Water's goin' back the day after that." He nodded, more so to himself than to Merle, as if to confirm his own plan in his mind. After all, what could happen in two days?

**XXXXXXXXX**

The crickets were chirping happily across the countryside. Stars littered the black night sky. The moon was almost completely full, brightening the land enough to add sharp contrast between the openings and the shadows.

Daryl was slumped in the overstuffed chair in his living room, his legs outstretched across the floor and his head rolled back. His neck was kinked and he would probably be sore by the morning from that position. It wasn't anything new; he'd been getting more and more stiff with each night spent on the cursed chair.

At least he was having a nice dream. More than nice. It was starting to get downright erotic. Carol was there in his house. She was dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of short little white drawers, looking just so sexy. She started with massaging his shoulders, her fingers working into his muscles and making him relax. Her hands work up to his scalp, her nails scratching gently through his hair and giving him chills.

Then, like any dream, it jumped and she was suddenly in front of him. She was kneeling, almost between his legs. Her hands rested firmly on his knees and it made him twitch a little when she squeezed them. Then his breath caught as he felt her slowly caressing him as she moved up his thighs. He could feel himself getting hard.

"Carol…" he moaned out. The touching instantly stopped.

Daryl's eyes snapped opened, waking him up completely. He was confused for a moment, his mind clouded and not really knowing what was going on as he came out of the dream. Then his thoughts cleared and he realized with dread that he hadn't actually been dreaming.

Instead of Carol, Water sat between his legs, caressing his thighs. She was the one wearing his shirt and the little white drawers, not Carol. His eyes widened and he pressed himself back against the chair in an effort to put some distance between them. It wasn't enough.

Water seemed to take that as an invitation and proceeded to climb right into his lap. He actually heard himself whimper under his breath at the intimate contact. He froze, his whole body tensing almost painfully. She breathed hot breath into his ear, making his mind whirl in uncertainty of what to do.

He ended up not needing to figure out what do to as he reacted instinctively when she touched him. Her hand had reached down and stroked along his manhood. Immediately he pushed her off him, unceremoniously dumping her on the floor.

"Don't fuckin' touch me!" he growled at her, getting to his feet.

She looked distressed, tears already forming in her eyes. "Please, my betrothed! Don't push me away! I can pleasure you, I promise. Just lie with me and let me show you," she pleaded with him. Her hand reached out to touch his leg but he quickly pulled away from her reach.

"No, I ain't yours," he spat at her.

Her lips twisted in anger. "It's her, isn't it? Carol. That old woman next door. She's got her hooks in you," Water said with rage between clenched teeth. "I can give you more than her. I can give you many sons, a lifetime of bliss. I will serve only you."

"Don't care," he told her harshly and bolted out the door. He needed Carol and he needed her right now.


	9. Chapter 9

Beware! Smut ahead. You have been warned.

That being said, if you avoid smut, I highly suggest reading the last part of this chapter. It is not smutty and some very important things happen. This chapter ended up being longer than my typical chapter but I just didn't want to stop. I guess I could have split it into two chapters but whatever. Hope you all enjoy it! Here's where the angsty drama starts.

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 9**

Daryl knew that Carol's back door would be unlocked. Despite the fact that he was still suspicious of the dangers around him, everyone else in town seemed to be settling back into their usual, trusting routine. Even if the wendigos were gone for good, which he highly doubted, they all seemed to have forgotten about Tony and Dave too. They were the two very alive outlaws who snuck into the stables behind the saloon and stabbed Amy. That threat was just as real as the walking dead.

He slipped into the dark kitchen and locked the back door behind him. Then he moved silently through the living room. Even though his eyes had not completely adjusted to the shadowy light inside the house compared to the bright moonlight outside, he had committed the plan of the house to memory. If he was blind, he'd be able to walk around the house confidently.

The grandfather clock in the living room showed it was just after 2am. He knew she would be asleep but it didn't matter. He desperately needed to see Carol. He hadn't seen her since yesterday afternoon when she'd had her run-in with Water and that one kiss had hardly been enough to quench his desperation for her. Just gazing upon her sleeping would be enough to calm him now after Water's invasion of his person.

These thoughts occupied his mind as he slid up the stairs, avoiding the creaky one. He could see Carol's bedroom door cracked open at the end of the hall, her delicate little foot just visible poking out from under the covers. He felt pulled toward her reflexively. Yet, he paused and frowned as he looked over the railing at the front door. He'd forgotten to check to make sure she'd locked it. He debate mutely with himself for a few seconds about whether or not to go back down and lock it.

Carol rolled and murmured in her sleep and Daryl's head whirled right back to the cracked door. Now he could see a good portion of her leg emerging from under the covers, her nightgown having hitched up to her waist from her sleepy movements. It made Daryl's heart beat increase in rate.

He glanced at the front door. Screw it. If she did leave it unlocked, it was still unlikely anyone was going to break in and if they did, he was here to protect them. He continued on to the bedroom, carefully opening the door and entering the room as quietly as a ghost.

There she was, sleeping so peacefully in her bed. Her face was relaxed but he couldn't help to think that there was just the slightest smile gracing her lips. She was lying on her stomach, her arms hugging her pillow under her head. The moonlight coming through the window behind the bed made her skin seem to glow magically. For several long minutes, he just watched her. Her breathing was so easy and he could not tear his eyes off her back slowly rising and falling. He was mesmerized by the sight of her.

Her shifting again in her sleep snapped him out of it. She rolled onto her side, facing his empty side of the bed. Well, technically it was all her bed but that was the side he'd occupied for over a week. It was where he would still be sleeping if things hadn't gotten messed up with Water coming. Her bed was infinitely more comfortable that sleeping in his chair at home.

Her arm seemed to snake out along the sheets, as if searching for him. That action was enough to change his mind about just standing there over her for the rest of the night. He needed to touch her, even if only in sleep. Toeing off his boots and slipping off his pants, he smoothly pulled back the covers and slid into the bed besides her wearing only his shirt and drawers. Taking her outstretched hand in his, he lightly kissed each fingertip and then the palm before placing it upon his chest.

She moaned a little and he could feel her fingers gathering the cloth of his shirt into her hand. "Hi…" she spoke, her voice still heavy with sleep. Her eyes opened and the blue of them sparkled in the moonlight. His breath caught in his throat at those eyes gazing upon him.

"Didn't mean ta wake ya," he said in a hoarse whisper. Unconsciously, his finger covered hers on his chest and he was caressing her hand.

She moved closer to him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. "I'm glad you did," she murmured. "I've missed you so much." To illustrate her point, she kissed him sweetly on his neck. The feel of her soft lips on that sensitive skin speed his heart up again into double time. Just that little contact was enough to have him feel his blood heading south.

"Has everything been taken care of? I hope the young woman wasn't too devastated when you took her back to her people. Were the Sioux very angry?" she asked innocently.

He swallowed thickly. How could he tell her that he hadn't taken Water back yet? Why else would he be here if it wasn't all over, right? Would she kick him out of bed if he told her the truth? That he was too much of a pussy to have returned her yet? He couldn't do it. He wanted her. He _needed _her, only her.

"No, she ain't gonna mess with our lives again," he told her, hoping that his words were true but knowing that he was a total asshole for lying to her.

He could feel her smile widely against his neck and then kiss him again, her tongue licking along the edge of his stubble. He couldn't help moaning as he could feel himself getting more aroused by her hot mouth on his neck. She broke away for a second and his skin felt cold without her. But then a moment later, she leaned over and kissed him full on the lips. The kiss was passionate and full of heat. Her tongue ran over his teeth and his tongue moved beside hers, dancing. His upper teeth scrapped along her bottom lip and whimpered a little.

Suddenly she pulled back from him and tugged her nightgown up and over her head in one smooth motion. There she sat, completely exposed to him. Her chest was heaving as she panted with desire and a fine sheet of sweat made her skin glisten in the moonlight. Daryl almost couldn't breathe at her beauty that she offered just to him.

Then he was on her, lust guiding his movements with a confidence he rarely felt. With a growl, he flipped her underneath him, his hips pressed between her legs. It was obvious she could feel his hardness and she was rubbing against him ever so slightly, creating a delicious amount of friction inside their underwear.

His hands were on each of her breasts, cupping them and running his calloused thumbs along the hardening peaks. She was making little breathy sounds at his touching her. Their mouths were attacking each other, their lips, tongues and teeth all involved. He felt her fingers on the buttons of his shirt and then she pushed the cloth away to massage his bare shoulders.

His hips were involuntarily thrusting against her, basically dry humping her as the wonderful friction drove him on. Yet, he stopped himself, slowing down. He wasn't ready to take her, for it to be over. He owed her for everything he had done and she deserved more than just a quick fuck. Another idea came into his mind.

He'd never done it before, only heard about it in a bar once. He'd been there with Merle and his brother had made some new friends over a Tequila bottle. The conversation had turned to how well they could pleasure a woman and the drunken claims had seemed unlikely to the merely buzzed Daryl. At the time, he hadn't wanted to hear the in-depth descriptions, which were making him blush unwillingly. However, he needed to keep an eye on Merle as that had been the ideal situation for his temper to turn from friendly to fighting on a dime. So he'd been forced to listen and had somehow retained the information on one unique way to pleasure a woman. Carol deserved this, if he did it right.

Kissing his way across her jaw and down her neck, he paused to pay close attention to each nipple. He ran his tongue over the hard nubs, suckling them greedily one at a time. He smiled a little at her gasps when he ran his teeth ever so slightly over them. Then he continued downward, licking her stomach and dipping his tongue into her belly button. His hands grasped the waistband of her little drawers and then he swiftly pulled them off her legs. Her hands went to tug on his own drawers but he caught them deftly.

"Not yet," he told her huskily. Even though his manhood was straining tightly against the fabric, it was better that he not be released or else he might never follow through with his plan.

She giggled in surprise when his strong hands manipulated her body into a better position for him, perpendicular on the bed rather than parallel with the edge. This way, most of his body could be on the bed as well. He moved down and nudged her legs open, which she let fall outwards with little prompting. Leaning down, he kissed her stomach as his hand ran over her intimate hair. Her fingers laced through his hair, a feeling he loved.

He shifted himself downwards and he could smell the intoxicating scent of her want. He could get drunk over her scent. Warm breath blew out of mouth, sweeping over her most secret area. She shivered at the sensation. Then he kissed her there, almost chastely.

She tensed all of the sudden. He could feel her trying to close her legs and he blocked them with his shoulders. "What are you doing?" she asked nervously as she sat up on her elbows. This was obviously not something she'd ever experienced before.

"Just wanna kiss you," he said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His hands were stroking her inner thighs in an effort to relax her.

"There?" she questioned, still unsure of what to make of this development.

"You'll like it," he assured her. "And if ya don't, I won't never do it again. 'kay?"

She bit her lip, still self-conscious, but then she nodded for him to continue. Laying back on the bed, her body was still rigid and he could see her hands clenched in the sheets. It was like she thought something bad was going to happen.

"Relax," he said calmly. "I ain't gonna hurt ya." She responded to his voice, visibly relaxing her muscles. "Good girl," he murmured.

He pushed her legs apart further to gain more access to her inner parts. His lips kissed her gently again before his tongue emerged and ran the length of her folds. Her taste was heaven to him, like sweetness and femininity on his tastebuds. She gasped and almost closed her legs again. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her thighs and held the spread open for him. His tongue delved deeper into her, finding the sensitive nerve center of her core. He experimentally flicked the nub.

Her entire body bucked and he had to clench his arms more firmly around her thighs to keep her in place. His tongue slipped down the length of her again and then came back up again to pay special attention to that particular location of her anatomy. She started whimpering softly as he lapped at her then twirled his tongue around, adding more pressure as he did it. Her whimpering intensified until she clamped her teeth together. Still, the noises coming out of her were enough to encourage him to keep going and making him even harder.

He pulled his tongue back in his mouth and kissed her little nerve center with his lips. Then he suckled her just there just as he had done with her nipples. He thought she was going to fly off the bed at that. His eyes roamed up her body and he saw her face turning bright red. She was sucking in great breaths. He could tell that she was so close.

He released one of her thighs and she was compliant by not trying to close herself again. Taking two fingers, he eased them inside of her while his tongue went back to assaulting her nerve center. Curling the fingers inside her, he ran them against her inner walls, pulling out and then plunging back in.

That was more than enough to push her over the edge. She orgasmed, hard. Her screaming was completely out of her control until she clapped her hand roughly over her mouth so as not to wake her daughter down the hall. Daryl could feel her insides pulsating against his fingers and tasting the essence of her as she came. It was like ambrosia to him.

With a smile on his face from knowing that he did well, he pulled back away from her. She was still panting around her covered mouth and staring up at the ceiling. He kissed her inner thigh as he let go of her other leg. Her eyes left the ceiling and met his eyes, blue to blue.

"I never thought... That was..." she seemed to be having difficulty find the right words. "That was mind-blowing," she concluded and grinned broadly at him.

"Thought ya'd like that," he smirked and then groaned. His shaft was so hard right now it hurt.

She noticed and motioned him towards her. "Daryl, I want you. I want you right now. Take me," she directed him intensely. Without needing anymore prompting, he ripped his drawers off and covered her body with his. Her legs wrapped around his waist, guiding him in. Their eyes never broke contact as he immersed himself fully inside her. He hissed between his teeth at the feeling; she was so incredibly hot and wet.

With a growl, he started to move. He was already so aroused that it didn't take long for him to be thrusting in and out of her wildly. Her inner tissues embraced him and she was making that whimpering sound again. He couldn't hold back any longer. He growled again, low in his throat as his body tensed and he let go. Pumping his seed deep inside of her, he could not imagine being anymore happy than he was at that very moment.

As they rode out the aftershocks together, he kissed her sweetly on the lips and she kissed him sweetly back. He wanted to tell her then that he loved her, knowing it beyond a doubt to be true. But he held back. He didn't know why, hating himself for his cowardice as she put her nightgown back on and he pulled his drawers up. Then she snuggled down against him, his arm going protectively around her and they fell asleep.

**XXXXXXXX**

Carol was sure that Ed had come back for her. That he had pulled himself out of hell and returned to punish her for killing him. She could see him in her mind, his eyes blazing and his features contorted in rage. He was reining his fists down upon her, screaming obscenities in her face.

"Whore! Old witch!"

Carol brought her arms up defensively over her head, trying desperately to protect herself. Shifting downward, one of the fists slammed into her diaphragm. The wind was knocked out of her and started gasping for air. She came awake fully at that moment and was surprised to discover that it wasn't Ed on top of her. It was Water.

Carol pushed back as hard on the woman as she could but she had no leverage and she was still struggling to get oxygen back in her lungs. Little stars were dotting in and out of her vision. She realized it must have been morning because the room was lit with sunlight coming in through the windows.

Suddenly, two strong arms wrapped around Water and hauled her off the bed. Daryl had her pinned against him in a full nelson position, with his arms coming up under hers and his hands locked behind her neck. She was fighting him but he held on fiercely, not caring if he was hurting her. There was no way he was letting her go to hurt Carol again.

"You evil old witch!" Water screamed, crying hysterically. "He's supposed to be mine. Don't you see? The Great Spirits chose me to be with him. He's my betrothed and you're trying to steal him like a devil!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Daryl yelled at her but it didn't stop the hysterical sobbing.  
Carol had gotten her breathing under control and got up off the bed. There was a stern look on her face as she made her way over to Water. Daryl wasn't sure what was happening but he held the fighting girl as still as possible.

Raising her hand, she slapped Water hard across the face. That seemed to knock the younger woman out of her hysterics. She sniffed a few times and hiccupped but then she was quiet, her dark brown eyes staring up at Carol's blue ones.

"You need to calm down," Carol told her sternly, as if she was talking to one of her students having a temper tantrum. "I am not stealing anything from you. He came to me. I don't give a damn what the Great Spirits may have chosen because the choice is Daryl's. And it's one he's going to have to make very, very soon."

With that, Carol went over to the mirror at the other end of the room and examined the red mark on the side of her face from where Water had initially punched her. She knew it was going to bruise by later that day. It looked a lot like the ones she used have when Ed was alive.

Daryl dragged a non-resistant but limp Water over to the door and shoved her through it out into the hallway. "Get the hell outta here," he growled at her.

"Actually, why don't you both get out of here," Carol said and quickly gathered up Daryl's clothes on the floor. She shoved the pile into his arms, causing him to also stumble out into the hallway.

"Carol, don't," he tried reasoning with her.

"No Daryl. You lied to me. You told me she wasn't going to mess around in our lives anymore and here I wake up to her beating the crap out of me!"

"I'm sorry, I was so stupid ta lie. I'm sending her back after the wedding, I promise." He gulped then said "I love you Carol." Even to his own ears, the words reeked of desperation and sounded forced.

"Now? You're going to say those words to me now? Daryl, you need to make a decision about what you want real fast. When you do, you can come back and say those words. Maybe I'll believe them then. Until that happens, get the fuck out of my house!" Carol screamed at him and slammed her bedroom door in his face. He could hear her burst into tears behind it.

He could feel the rage boiling up inside. Despite knowing this was his fault for being such an indecisive prick, he was overwhelmingly angry at Water. He turned on her and there was obvious fear in her eyes as she saw his fuming expression. Knowing he couldn't hit her but needing to hit something, he smashed his fist through the wall beside him. Water jumped a foot away from him in fright. The pain in his hand felt good, better than the burning pain of shame at hearing Carol crying through the door. He didn't care that he was going to have to fix that hole later.

A small movement behind Water caught his attention and he saw that it was Sophia. She was standing in the hallway on the other side of the stairs. She looked very pissed off, her little mouth turned down in a frown and her eyes narrowed menacingly at the two of them. Then she shook her head, walked back into her room and slammed the door closed.

With a snarl of rage, Daryl grabbed Water's arm and pulled her down the stairs and out of the house with him. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with this shitstorm but he was going to figure it out. He was going to fix this.


	10. Chapter 10

So sorry for the long delay! The boss went on vacation so it is just me at the office now and it is kicking my ass. But today (or yesterday depending when this gets posted) is my birthday and I told everyone to leave me alone so I can write all I want to!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 10**

Carol gave herself five minutes of utter misery before she pulled herself together. She sobbed quietly, curled up into herself on the bed. Her cheek ached where Water had punched her. It was not nearly as bad as a lot of the wounds inflicted upon her by Ed but it had felt like those days of being physically abused were behind her so it was more a wound to her pride.

It felt like a hole had been ripped through her chest, leaving her heart raw and exposed. Water's harshness was really just a byproduct of the situation. Her real pain came from Daryl's actions. She was so in love with the man and this betrayal was worse than any physical injury. The activities with him overnight had been so incredible that she had never felt so happy or close to him. But he had lied to her, telling her that Water was gone when she had never left at all.

Nevertheless, Carol sat up and wiped her tears away with the blankets. If there was one thing she was really good at, it was burying her pain and going on with her daily routine. She'd done it countless times in her life with Ed. The behavior patterns were already well ingrained. She went to her night table drawer and withdrew a little pot of cream-colored face paint. It wouldn't hide the bruise totally but it would make it subtle enough that people wouldn't notice unless they really looked at her.

After getting dressed and making breakfast, she called Sophia down to the table. The girl was quieter than normal. Carol knew that she'd heard everything; how could she not have heard the screaming so close by? There was also no way not to notice the large hole punched into the hallway wall as a result of Daryl's rage. Carol didn't realize that Sophia had witnessed that display or she would have been horrified.

During their walk down to the schoolhouse, Carol thought about what she was going to do for the day. She'd planned out a whole lesson about George Washington and the founding fathers but she wasn't sure she was going to be able to carry it out. Her mind was distracted and her body ached from all the stress, as well as the few well-landed blows from Water. No, it would be a day for busy work. The younger children could work on their alphabet while the older ones practiced multiplication tables.

Carol almost jumped when she felt Sophia slipped her hand into Carol's. This was a rare occurrence. Usually her daughter would be picking flowers or jumping on downed trees or large rocks lining the sides of the road. She would excitedly talk about whatever was on her mind, lately being whatever book she was reading. It had been a long while since she'd been this subdued and offered her mother support with a simple handhold. The last time had been when Ed was still alive. Carol gave Sophia a smile and then kissed her on the forehead in a silent thank you for being there.

As they neared the schoolhouse, she could see some of the students waiting for her. This wasn't an unusual occurrence but she frowned when she noticed they seemed to be gathered around something. Fear flashed through her as she remembered the recent wendigo attacks and even though none of them appeared in distress, she picked up the pace to make sure her students were safe.

She stopped short, gasping in surprise when she saw what the children were so focused on. It was Lieutenant Andrew Flynn. With everything that had happened, she had completely forgotten about the handsome officer she'd met the other day.

The man smiled brightly and tipped his hat towards her as she neared the building. She felt somewhat flustered by his presence but his manner was disarming.

"Good morning, schoolteacher," the man greeted her pleasantly. "I was thinking that today might be a good one for me to follow through with my offer to teach your students about the military of this fine country. Hopefully I won't be interrupting any other learning plans you had set for today?"

Trying to process his words, she stuttered, "Oh, no…um, that would be fine. Great actually." This would actually be much better than the busy work she was going to force the students to complete.

Carl Grimes jumped up and down excitedly. "He's going to teach us all about war and how the army kills wendigos!"

Her eyebrows went up at the boy's words. "Is he now?" she asked and gave him a wary look. She unlocked the door to the schoolhouse and the children began to file inside.

The man chuckled at Carl's enthusiasm and responded, "From what I've heard, this town already knows all about how to kill those wendigos." Carl nodded in agreement and went inside. Flynn winked at Carol before he followed the excited boy inside. She felt herself blushing.

Carol couldn't help to notice how nice his laugh sounded and how forward he seemed to be. He was so much freer with his smile and humor than Daryl. She shook her head and admonished herself. She should not be comparing the two men. Even if she was angry at him hurting her just that morning, she was still deeply in love with him, despite all his faults.

The officer was a wonderful public speaker. She found herself drawn in right along with the students, forgetting all her troubles. His voice was deep but flowed effortlessly over the words and had them all entranced. He started with the structure of the military, all about enlisted and officers. Then he told them all about the War Between the States, which was from the view of a northerner of course. The children asked many questions and Carol was proud that many of them were so insightful.

Then he moved on to the most exciting part, regaling them with stories about their battles with the wendigos. She hadn't realized there had been so many towns invaded and wiped out by the demons. It frightened her to think that this might just be the beginning but it helped that he gave them all hope in assurances that their army unit was effectively removing the threat.

Even though she was sure Sheriff Rick had filled him in on their own encounter with the horde of the undead, he listened patiently while the children excitedly told him all about the work of their families and neighbors just two weeks earlier. He asked the right questions and complimented their techniques in just such a way that every child was in awe of the man by the time it was time for school to end.

When he asked if any of them would like a tour of the army camp before they shipped out in a week, the students went crazy with cheering. Sophia and Carl joined in happily also despite the fact they'd already been given a tour with his dad. Anything perked the kids up when it meant getting out of the classroom.

Several of them even stayed later than normal to ask more about his experiences both in the war to the east against their own people as well as the war around them against the flesh-eaters. Finally, all the children scurried out of the schoolhouse, needing to head home to work on chores at their respective homes and farms. Carol walked with Flynn outside the door as they waved good-bye to the students who kept looking back at him with expressions of hero-worship.

Carol turned to him. "I can't thank you enough for doing that. The children were enthralled with your tales of action. This was a great service you've done for them."

He took her hand in his as he moved closer to her. She could feel his thumb idly moving across her skin. "It was my pleasure." His smile was dazzling but then it faded suddenly, his lips turning downward. She was about to take a step back away from him when he dropped her hand and his fingers grazed over the bruise on her face.

"I fell," she said automatically, no desire to include him in the sorted details of her currently complicated life. Her eyes fell to the ground in embarrassment, feeling again like the abused wife she thought she'd left behind.

He seemed to accept that excuse without an argument because he nodded with understanding, smiling again. His hand went to hers and he lifted it to his lips. Just like at the saloon, she felt the kiss linger longer than was proper and a blush light up her face.

"You keep kissing her like that and you'll have her other suitor hunting you down. That man's got a mean set of arrows and powerful weapon that can shoot them right through you," a voice said behind them.

Caught off guard, the two of them jumped away from each other. Andrea stood with her arms crossed, a smirk on her lips as she examined them. Carol could feel her blush deepening at her friend's scrutiny.

Clearing his throat, Flynn commented, "Another suitor? With a magic device to shoot arrows? I best not trifle with such a fellow. And yet, I do so hope he appreciates the fine woman he has set his sights on." He paused and then spoke again, his eyes on Carol. "Tomorrow is the grand wedding celebration at the Greene farm and I desperately hope for a dance from the fair school teacher."

She couldn't meet his eyes, knowing how red her face was from his flattery. "I'm sure I could save a dance for one of our heroes fighting to make the countryside safer." Tipping his hat to both ladies, he left them with a broad smile on his face.

Andrea snorted, "Daryl better watch it or that soldier's going to have you swept off your feet in no time."

"I don't think Daryl has anything to worry about. I'm sure Lieutenant Flynn is just being friendly," Carol remarked, knowing the look that had been in his eyes and the length of his kiss on her hand had said otherwise.

"Oh come on Carol! It's so obvious the man's interested. Anyone who sees him around you can tell that." Andrea's eyes widened at her and then Carol felt her best friend's hand grip her chin. Her face was turned roughly so Andrea could better examine the bruise on her cheek. "You'd better not tell me that Daryl did this," Andrea ground out angrily between her teeth.

"No, it was Water," Carol explained simply.

"Bitch!" Andrea dropped her hands. "How dare she lay hands on you! I'm going to kick her ass if I see her again! What the hell happened?"

"I… I don't want to talk about it," Carol told her, feeling tears coming to her eyes. "All I can say is that Water is still here and I'm having doubts as to whether Daryl really wants to take her back to the tribe at all. Maybe it's not me he wants anymore."

She could feel the tears sliding down her cheeks and she stumbled to sit down on the step in front of the door. Before she thought that she had finished all her crying but it was obvious she had been mistaken because the pain was still burning inside her at the thought of Daryl not wanting her when he could have Water.

Andrea sat down beside her and wrapped Carol's shaking body in her arms. She supported her friend while she let her emotions flow out.


	11. Chapter 11

Wow! Look how much I can write when I get a whole day without work or social obligations! Thanks so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes. It was a real nice day.

Please note that I have done some research on wedding rings during the Civil War period and there is a lot of conflicting information. Apparently, women often did receive engagement or motherhood rings so people would know they "belonged" to someone. The wearing of wedding bands on men did not become especially common until World War Two but there are many examples of it stretching back into the 19th century. Feel free to PM me if you wish to discuss it further.

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 11**

Daryl stood at the edge of the forest surrounding the little schoolhouse, his body hidden from view behind a tree as he watched intently. It was just about the time when the students would be leaving and he hoped to catch Carol alone. He desperately needed to talk with her.

After the episode that morning, Water had followed him back to the little house silently. She looked like she was either ashamed of her actions or scared shitless that his rage was going to turn on her the moment they got home. However, he didn't want to touch her or even look at her. She was ruining everything good in his life and at that moment, he hated her for it. He didn't care that she had been thrown into this situation against her will. It had been her decision to break into Carol's house and assault her while he laid asleep beside her. She deserved his rage.

He needed to tell Carol everything he was feeling, all that he'd been holding back from her out of stupid fear. She needed to know that Water meant nothing to him, that Carol was the only woman he'd ever loved or ever would love. Despite the fact that it seemed like he'd said those word out of desperation to hold on to her, he meant them. From the bottom of his heart, he meant them. He wanted to tell her that he wanted her closer to him always. He may have been sleeping there every night but he was still a guest. That needed to change; he wanted to move in permanently. She would fall asleep in his arms each night and he would get to wake up to her smile each morning. Anything she ever wanted, he would give it to her. If she desired it, he would put a ring on her finger.

He would make her understand that Water was going back the day after the wedding tomorrow. Already he'd promised her that he would go with her to the reception. She'd made a comment about getting him to dance with her before but he'd scoffed at the thought. Now he'd do it gladly. Daryl Dixon had never danced a step in his life but for her, he would try.

The front door to the schoolhouse flew open and he watched Carl and Sophia run out. The two children headed in the direction of the Grimes house down the road. Then Beth Greene exited, carefully holding the hands of the two young Martinez girls. She paused and waited a moment for the older Martinez boy to come strolling out before they all walked together back to the farm. Duane Jones was the last student out, glancing back at something over his shoulder as he walked home.

Daryl readied himself to go up there and profess his undying love to Carol. Then he stopped still in his tracks at what he saw. His body involuntarily slipped back behind the tree trunk so as not to be spotted. He could feel his fingers gripping hard into the bark of the tree, not noticing as he ripped little pieces out.

Walking out of the school house beside Carol was one of those uniformed Union soldiers. There was a flash of gold reflecting the sunlight in his direction and he could tell the man was an officer. He and Merle had unfortunately had a run-in with a few soldiers during one of his brother's more obnoxious benders in Oklahoma. At first he hadn't blamed the Army men for putting Merle in his place but when they'd locked both of them up for the simple reason that they were seen as lowlifes, it had left a bad taste in his mouth.

Carol turned and said something to the tall, dark-haired man but they were too far away for him to hear their words. He strained his ears but it was no use; the most he could hear was the pitch of her sweet voice.

Then the man took her hand in his and Daryl could see his thumb rubbing against her soft skin. Anger mixed with jealousy swelled up in him at the thought of another man touching her. He was just about to attack the guy when the officer suddenly let her hand go. Instead, his hand drifted up and touched her cheek, right where Daryl knew her bruise was from Water's punch. It made him lose some of his fight to watch her look away in embarrassment from it. That was his fault, her being marked like that, whether he was the one that hit her or not.

She must have given him some excuse because the man nodded and smiled at her again. Then he once again took her hand in his and Daryl growled when he raised it up to his lips for a kiss. Again jealousy surged through him. He wanted to tear the soldier's head off just for breathing the same air as Carol, let alone putting his dirty lips on her. And it was lasting too long, the seconds ticking by. Daryl's hands curled into tight fists, red edging into his vision.

Before he could act, a voice loud enough that he could hear the words clearly from his hiding spot interrupted his thoughts.

"You keep kissing her like that and you'll have her other suitor hunting you down. That man's got a mean set of arrows and powerful weapon that can shoot them right through you." His eyes leapt over to Andrea as she traveled up the little grassy hill towards them. He relaxed a little as the two jumped apart. Damn, Andrea was right. He so wanted to shot an arrow straight through that asshole. Fingering the strap of his crossbow, he narrowed his eyes as the fancy-dressed officer left the women.

His gaze drifted back to Carol and Andrea when the asshole left his view. He sighed as he saw Andrea examining Carol's face now and he was sure Carol was telling her best friend what happened. His stomach twisted painfully when Carol started to cry and slumped down on the front step. He'd done that. He'd caused that pain. He couldn't stand it. At this point, he could care less about the Sioux scalping him for dishonoring the Great Spirits. It would be less painful than what he was feeling now. He had to fix this.

Before he realized what he was doing, he was running back through the woods towards his house at full speed. He was panting by the time he got there, sucking in great gulps of air to try to keep his lungs full. Merle was sitting on the porch, nursing a bottle of moonshine. Daryl completely ignored him as he headed out back to the horse enclosure.

"Hey!" Merle called to him and Daryl could hear his brother get up from the creaky wood to follow him. "What the hell happened? Ya look like ya been runnin' fer your life! And why's yer girl scared ta come outta your room?"

"She ain't my girl!" Daryl yelled fiercely behind him as he pulled Sky's saddle out.

Merle put up his hands defensively. "I know. I'm just messin' with ya, baby brother. Where ya goin'? It's gonna be dark soon," he questioned as he watched Daryl strap the riding equipment on the horse.

"She's gotta go back. She's fuckin' up everything good I've got with Carol," Daryl grunted as he climbed on top of Sky and immediately pushed the horse into a hard run. Sky hadn't been out in days and she was happy to stretch her legs with him on her back.

Merle stared at his brother's retreating back with a confused look on his face. Then he called after Daryl, "Hey dumbass! Ya forgot her! She's still in the house!"

Daryl ignored him, pushing Sky along faster towards the Sioux camp. It wasn't time for Water to go back to the tribe yet. He knew what he was doing. At least, he really hoped he knew what he was doing.

**XXXXXXX**

The braves at the Sioux camp were on high alert. Unlike Quarry, they had not relaxed any of their guards and people were always aware of their surroundings. The wendigo herd had done significant damage to them, each of them having suffered some form of loss and they weren't going to let that happen again.

They heard Sky's galloping hooves coming towards them before they actually spotted Daryl and his spirit horse. Weapons were held at the ready, the women and children already being gathered together in the center of the settlement. When Daryl came into view and the braves recognized him, they visibly relaxed but did not bring their weapons down.

Not heeding this subtle warning, he had Sky ride right up to them before he slid off the horse. The warriors back up somewhat and several of them did lower their bows and spears. One that did not was the hulking Indian that Daryl recognized from the front of his house the day before. An angry scowl was on his face and his bowstring was tight, aimed directly at Daryl's chest. Daryl ignored him.

"Where's Tom? Where's Rebel Squirrel?" Daryl demanded loudly, hoping at least one of them would understand who he needed. One of the older braves said a few words to a young one, who took off in the direction of the far teepees. Then the man nodded to Daryl, conveying that he understood the request. Daryl nodded back and then clumsily stroked at Sky's neck. He was antsy and didn't know what do to with himself while he waited.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. Tom appeared, a concerned look on his face. "Daryl Dixon? What's wrong?"

"You gotta take Water back. I don't care if that makes every spirit angry. She's ruinin' ma life!" Daryl rambled on frantically.

Tom held up an open hand and then motioned Daryl to follow him. He led the distraught man into one of the nearby teepees. He sat down next to Tom on the layers of blankets. A cup of hot liquid was shoved into his hands by an elderly lady with wrinkles so deep he almost couldn't see her eyes.

"Drink that. It will calm you down and then you can tell me better what all this is about," Tom directed him. Daryl listened and took a sip of the liquid. It tasted good, sweet with a touch of spice at the same time. He drank it down greedily and almost instantly felt himself relaxing. "Better?" Tom asked as he took the cup out of Daryl's hand. Daryl nodded, his limbs feeling heavy. "Now, tell me slowly why you've come at such a late hour and so troubled."

Daryl swallowed. "I have to bring Rushing Water back."

Tom frowned, clearly unhappy but willing to hear Daryl out. "Why? She is your betrothed."

"I know I said I wasn't married, which is true. I ain't married. But there's this woman and I'm in love with her," Daryl explained.

A look of sad understanding covered Tom's features. "I see."

"Water's a great woman, I'm sure. But she ain't meant to be ma woman. Carol is. Are you gonna scalp me for givin' her back?" Daryl cringed as he asked the question.

Tom laughed quietly. "No, Daryl. We're not going to scalp you. But the Great Spirits will be very disappointed at this rejection."

"So ya ain't gonna trade with me no more, huh?" Daryl asked.

"That'll be up to the elders but this may look like a slap in the face to them," Tom reported.

"Damn," Daryl whispered, still relatively relaxed. The two men sat there in silence for a minute before Daryl spoke again, more force in his voice. "I don't get these Great Spirits. They're the ones sendin' mixed messages! Showin' me Carol in my Vision Quest, makin' me realize all ma deep feelings for her and shit. I got her, I saved her and then they throw Water at me, sayin' she's the woman I'm supposed ta be with! Fuck, they need ta make up their minds!"

Tom sat up straighter, his expression now much more interested. "You had a Vision Quest?"

"Yep, Walking Bird set it up because I killed a wendigo with ma crossbow," Daryl explained. It made him realize how uncomfortable he was with the weapon still on his back when all he wanted to do was lay down. He easily slid the strap over his head and sat back.

"And this woman Carol, this woman you love, was in your Vision Quest?" Tom pressed, penetrating the fog attempting to envelop Daryl's brain.

"Yep, we was in this lake or ocean or something that went on forever. She told me that her real self was leavin' town and that if I wanted her, I'd have to get to her. I made it in time," Daryl said, yawning.

Tom ran his fingers through his hair. "This is a very interesting development. I shall have to confer with the elders about this," Tom told Daryl as he stood up to leave the teepee. "You'll be safe here for the night."

Daryl tried to get up but his legs weren't responding. "Wait!" he mumbled. "I can't stay here. I gotta weddin' to go to tomorrow!"

"Sorry but the sun is already leaving the sky and we can't allow you out into the darkness. The majority of the wendigos may be gone but we have killed two of them since the great battle and you will be in great danger out there alone," Tom stepped over him left.

Daryl wanted to fight but he was so tired. Maybe he'd just rest his eyes for a few minutes, gather his strength and then sneak out when nobody was watching. He felt the older woman remove his boots and lay a blanket over him. Then he remembered nothing after that.


	12. Chapter 12

Yep, work kicked my ass. I knew it would happen with the boss out and all the work falling on me. Luckily, I have off today for the Jewish New Year and I am taking full advantage of the time.

I also figured out where I came up with the name Andrew Flynn. Anyone else watch "Major Crimes" or "The Closer"?

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 12**

"I can't believe I let ya talk me inta wearin' this stupid suit! Why can't I just wear ma regular clothes?" Merle complained. "Shit!" he cursed as he fumbled with the bow tie. He'd never worn one before so he was at a complete loss on how to work it. Karen had modified one of her father's nice suits for Merle and had shown up this morning, demanding he put it on.

Karen pushed through his closed bedroom door, looking pretty as a picture in her fancy lavender dress complete with lace at the collar. Her hair was piled up on her head with wisps curled down the sides. "Because we're going to a wedding and you're not going looking like a total slob." She stepped close to him and began expertly tying the strip of cloth around his neck. "Besides, you still owe me for having to babysit your brother's fiancé." She ignored him as he placed his hands around her waist, trying to draw him against her.

"I thought that debt was paid when ya ran up our tab at the store," he grumbled, his fingers massaging into her back muscle enticingly.

She finished with the bow tie but her hands drifted down, laying flat against his chest. "That was Daryl's payment. You think I don't know he's the one that pays that bill? No, you're not getting off that easy Merle," she told him as she gave in to the pressure on her back and pressed the full length of her body against his. He groaned, leaning in to kiss her.

"Karen?" asked a small voice behind them.

Merle and Karen jumped apart, seeing Water standing in the open doorway. Merle hadn't seen her in almost two days. Then again, it had probably been just as long since he's seen his brother. Despite not really wanting to get involved, he's tried knocking on the door to see if she was okay. When there had been no answer but a few muffled sobs, he had left a plate of food outside the door for her last night and this morning. He had no idea what had happened but it must have been bad for her to isolate herself like that when she'd been so bubbly before.

"Hi Water," Karen said gently to the fragile-looking young woman.

"Can I talk to you?" Sky asked, seemingly almost frightened of rejection, even for such a small request.

"Of course, sweetie," Karen said, her eyes full of sympathy. Before following Water out into the living room, she turned back to Merle and quickly pecked him on the lips. "You look amazing when you get all cleaned up. Don't forget to check yourself out in the mirror." Then she was gone.

Merle scowled, reluctantly going into the kitchen to look in the mirror propped up against the wall. The Dixon brothers had no need for elegant things like mirrors so Karen had stolen one out of the Greene guest house. She'd lugged it across town just so he could see himself in the stylish suit before they left for the wedding. He thought that was a waste of time and effort.

That was until he stepped up to the mirror and got a first glimpse of himself. Damn! He looked good. Tugging down the grey vest then straightening the long blue jacket, he couldn't help but admire how it fitted his body. He smiled smugly at his reflection. It was doubtful he'd admit to her that he liked the suit but he knew he'd draw quite a few eyes to him at the wedding. And there was nothing he liked more than when attention was on him.

In the living room, Karen settled into the chair next to Water, waiting for the distraught girl to talk. She looked like she'd been crying a lot and there were dark circles under her eyes. It took her a couple seconds to gather her thoughts but then she took a deep breath and blurted out her troubles.

"I did something awful and I don't think Daryl will ever forgive me!" She started crying again, covering her face with her hands.

Karen put her arms around Water and gently rocked her as comforting as she could. "What happened?" she asked gently.

Choking back a sob, Water told her in a tearful voice. "Daryl's supposed to be my betrothed, given to me by the Great Spirits. I felt like I was failing them. I'm not stupid; I knew he didn't feel for me the way he feels for that woman in the next farm over. I tried…" she paused, looking down at her hands in shame before continuing. "Showing him the kinds of pleasures I could offer him. I know it was wrong, trying to seduce him before the uniting ceremony. I felt like if I could just get him to lie with me, he'd see that I was the one meant for him. But he pushed me away and ran out the door!" she wailed.

Karen gathered her back up again, hushing her. "It's an understandable mistake. We both know most men would jump for a chance to be with a beautiful woman like you. But Daryl's different. He's very sensitive about his personal space. No matter what he ends up deciding to do with his future, I'm sure he'll forgive your transgression."

Without looking up, Water whimpered "It got worse."

Karen grimaced. Uh-oh. She didn't say anything, waiting for Water to compose herself enough to spit it out.

"I knew where he went after he pushed me away. How could I not know that he would go to her? I cried at first but then I got mad. After letting all that anger just fester inside me for hours, I went after him. He was mine and she was stealing him from me! I found them asleep together in her bed and it was so obvious that he'd been with her instead of me. I went crazy and in blind rage, I hit her. I hit her over and over again," Water cried in humiliation.

"No shit," Merle whispered behind them. He'd been listening in, which was not hard to do in such a tiny house. Water did not seem to care about that. Karen had pulled back a little bit, shocked at the turn this story had taken.

"She was upset, which I can't blame her for now that I have my wits back. But she was even angrier at him than she was at me. Told him he'd lied to her and get out of her house! Daryl went into a rage and punched a wall, which was so scary. After that, he left me here and hasn't come back since. I think I've ruined everything for both of us!" She dissolved back into weeping again.

Karen put at hand on her shoulder and gazed over at Merle. He looked like he was at a loss for words, a rare occurrence for the normally loud man. She pursed her lips, appearing to be thinking hard about something and Merle got a bad feeling. When she nodded to herself, a decision made, he knew there was going to be trouble.

"Merle, get a cool wash cloth for her," Karen ordered him. He grumbled about not being her servant but left the room to comply anyway. Karen turned back to Water, who was quieter now except for the occasional hiccup from her outburst. "Water," she started gently. "I like you. I think you are a sweet soul and I'm glad that I can be the one to help you during this difficult time." That elicited a small smile from the young woman. Karen sighed before going on. "But, Daryl is never going to love you like he loves Carol. It doesn't matter what you or your tribe or the Great Spirits want. He loves her and that isn't going to change."

Water pressed her lips together, now silent tears streaming out of her eyes. "I know," she whispered.

"I once asked you if there may be someone else you'd spend your life with but you won't answer. Is there?" Karen asked tenderly.

Water nodded. "Towering Tree. I've been in love with him since we were children playing games together. I always dreamed that he'd become my betrothed but now that I will be disgraced, I doubt even he will have me. I should have left when he came for me a few days ago. He wanted me to run away with him to the north."

Karen's eyebrows went up in surprise and she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Oh honey, if he came to whisk you away from all this mess, he's got it bad for you. There is definitely still hope there."

Merle came back in carrying the wet wash cloth. He shoved it into Karen's hands, annoyed. Some of the liquid splashed on her nice dress and Merle frozen, afraid she was going to freak out at him for being such an asshole about just getting a wash cloth. Luckily, she waved him away, murmuring good-naturedly that it would dry. Then she ran the cool cloth over Water's face before letting the woman have it.

"Water, go get dressed. Put on the pretty flowered one. I'll be in to do your hair in a minute," Karen directed and the Indian woman listened.

"What the hell are ya doin'?" Merle looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"We can't leave her here like this. She's a mess. We're taking her to the wedding with us," Karen told him. "The Greene's are gracious people, the whole town is invited and nobody is going to mind her being there."

"Nobody? What about Carol? She's gonna be there!" Merle countered.

Karen agreed. "True. But Carol is a mature, wonderful woman. She would never make a scene at a wedding over something like this. Water's lost all her fight so she'll be on her best behavior."

"And if ma brother's there?"

"I'll grant you that he's not nearly as mature emotionally as Carol but I suspect all he'd do is throw Water some dirty looks. I bet his attention will be squarely focused on Carol," Karen argued.

Merle relented with a noisy exhale. "Yeah, yer right. Better not leave her here where she could get inta more trouble."

Little did either of them know that there was so much more going on in this situation and despite all their efforts, matters weren't going to go as smoothly as they reasoned they would.

**XXXXXXXX**

Carol refused to even give Daryl the chance to disappoint her. She woke up determined not to have a bad day. It was Maggie and Glenn's wedding day and she was so happy for the couple. She forced herself to hum a gleeful tune as she got ready, dressing in her finest emerald green outfit and making sure to put on the precious heart necklace from Andrea.

Her hair was too short to style so she dug through the bottom of her closet for the one bonnet she had. It was several years old and she's not had the opportunity to wear it since Sheriff Rick's wedding to Lori. Pulling out the box, she blew off a layer of dust. Fortunately, it had been kept safe in pristine condition within. It was cream-colored with little cloth flowers sewed around it. The green of the dress complimented it nicely. She couldn't help admiring herself in the full-length mirror. Even the bruise on her cheek was starting to fade and was easily covered with the face paint. Part of her wanted Daryl to be there to see what he was missing but the rest of her knew just how painful it was going to be to see him.

"You look so beautiful, mama," Sophia told her, pushing through the door and leaping on the bed. She was still dressed in her night clothes.

Carol smiled at her daughter in the mirror. "Thank you, sweetie. Are you ready to get dressed?"

Sophia nodded and led Carol back to her own room. As they picked out a cute blue and white dress, the girl said "Daryl's going to be sorry he's not here with us."

Carol's breath caught in her throat but she swallowed down her unease. "We're not going to think about him today, okay? Today's all about celebrating Maggie and Glenn's wedding."

"Okay!" Sophia nodded enthusiastically.

On the way to the Greene farm, they met up with Andrea, Amy, Milton and T-Dog. All of them looked so dapper, dressed to the nines in their finest wear. There were hugs all around and then they continued on to the Greene farm.

None of them had gotten to see the new barn, which had just been finished two days earlier. The rumors that it was even larger than the old one weren't lying. The structure was massive. The huge doors both in the front and the back were open along with the hay loft's loading door up above. Sunlight was streaming in, brightening the whole place. Any corner that was dark had an oil lantern in it, giving a nice soft glow in those areas. Wreaths and garlands of fresh flowers had been strung everywhere, especially on the stage where the ceremony would be happening. In the coolest area, a large buffet table had been set up to keep the delicious food that would be coming out as fresh as possible. From the size of it, there was going to be quite a spread. The beautiful, three-tiered wedding cake had already been delivered that morning and was on display at the end of the table. Outside, tables for the reception and an area for dancing were laid out.

Their little group was greeted warmly by Herschel and Beth as they entered the barn. Carl, who was sitting near the front with Lori, waved happily at Sophia, who then guided them all to sit there. The whole town had been invited and a good portion was already there and filling in the rows of chairs. Several Union officers had been invited and she quickly moved her eyes away when she noticed Lieutenant Andrew Flynn moving to take a seat with them. Carol glanced around on the other side, not surprised to see that Daryl was missing.

What did surprise her was when Water walked into the barn with Merle and Karen. She waited with her breath held for Daryl to come in with them but he was absent, which made her feel just a tad better. Water looked awful, her face swollen from crying and even the face paint couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes. It made her feel slightly bad for the Indian woman. Not bad enough to forgive her for what she'd done but enough to put a restraining hand on Andrea's as the fiery woman went to stand up.

"What is that bitch doing here? How dare she even show her face!" Andrea whispered fiercely.

Carol squeezed her friend's hand. "Let it go," she told her firmly. Andrea huffed but relaxed and turned back to the front. Carol let herself glance quickly back, noticing Water sitting down with her eyes pointed firmly at the ground. Then she looked at Merle and could not help but smile a little. His outfit was definitely Karen's doing and she wondered how the woman had convinced him to wear it. Never in her life would she have thought this, but Merle looked downright regal.

The music started playing with Patricia, Dale and Jenny on instruments over to the side. Carol looked to the stage. Sheriff Rick was there, officiating over the wedding ceremony as the highest authority in Quarry. Glenn was there with him, looking both nervous and excited. Martinez's littlest girl was the first one down the aisle, sprinkling flower petals everywhere as she walked. Then came Beth, dressed in the prettiest pink dress and holding a little bouquet of white roses.

As the wedding march began to be played, the crowd rose to their feet. Herschel guided his eldest daughter down the aisle. Maggie looked absolutely radiant in her long white dress and veil. Glenn's expression was one of awe, like he couldn't believe that this all was happening for him. Carol felt her eyes welling up with tears, so happy for them.

The ceremony seemed to fly by with sweet words from Rick. When they were pronounced husband and wife, everyone cheered and then they flew down the aisle to get the reception started. Everyone was congratulating the newlyweds as the Greene household members began to bring out the food. There was everything from tender, roasted beef to corn on the cob to sweet rolls and fresh whipped butter.

Once they all had their fill, the dance began. Herschel joined the music-makers on a small piano that had been wheeled outside. Carol waved Andrea and Milton away as they tried to persuade her to dance with them. It was a slow song and she didn't want to be the odd one out. Sophia and Carl were staring up at the wedding cake and she was trying to keep a close eye on them so they don't try swiping some of the icing.

"Care to dance?" asked a pleasantly deep voice behind her. She knew it was Flynn before she even turned around. Emotions warred within her. How nice would it be to get to dance at this wedding? She really wanted to dance with Daryl, which had been a questionable prospect even at their best times. Yet, that seemed impossible. He wasn't there. Even Water was there, proving that he still hadn't taken her back to the tribe. Her guts twisted unhappily at what that could mean. Pushing those thoughts away, she stood up. With a guilty feeling, she nodded and let him take her hand out onto the dance floor.

She didn't what kind of fireworks that were going to be set off by that decision.


	13. Chapter 13

Hi all! Here we are at the second to last chapter (although I think I might do an epilogue so there might be two chapters left). For my birthday, I got seasons 2 and 3 and was watching some of my favorite scenes. I think that's what prompted me to write the first scene of this chapter the way I did. Besides, we haven't had almost any Twilight Zone kind of stuff in this story and it was high time.

The end of this chapter is ultra-angsty so please don't get too upset with me. Just wait for the next chapter!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 13**

Daryl was having the strangest dream. It had all the dream qualities that one expects but seems so natural while going through it. The scenes would dissolve into one another or else jump into the future abruptly. There were people he knew in a familiar setting, even though he knew he'd never been there before.

He was back at that place he'd seen in his vision quest, what looked like a prison. Sheriff Grimes was there with him and they were fighting side by side against hungry, biting wendigos. The two of them were searching for their women, Rick for Lori and Daryl for Carol. They found T-Dog, who had been reduced to nothing more than a chewed up pile of flesh. Lying beside him was a scrap of cloth. It was silky, pink and flowery but dirty, crumpled haphazardly on the floor.

It was hers. Despite not having ever seen it before, there was a certainty that it was Carol's. He picked it up and in the dream, time seemed to stop. He ran the fabric through his fingers, as if he were caressing her instead of just this insignificant scarf. Then the anger welled up inside him and he flung the cloth down on the floor. It wasn't Carol.

Was she gone? Had she been devoured by the demons that had come out of the tombs below? Was there nothing left of her for him to even bury? He clung to his sanity like a desperate man as he contemplated a world without her. It was a god-awful nightmare.

The dream skipped ahead and for a moment, he had an odd feeling that he was missing things that had happened. Yet, they were insignificant compared to Carol. He was sitting on the floor against the wall in a dirty hallway, a grimy window above him filtering in light. In front of him was a metal door, opening and closing lazily. There was a big dead wendigo in front of it and couldn't open more than a few inches.

He watched it, his temper on edge. Absentmindedly, he drove the knife into the concrete floor over and over again. It was Carol's knife. He didn't know how he knew that but it was a fact lodged firmly in his mind. It was Carol's knife and if she was an undead monster behind that door, he was going to end it with her own weapon.

His fury erupted and he leapt up, kicking the door with all his might. He paced like an animal before wrenching that dead, rotting body away. His entire body was tense as his fingers gripped the edge of the metal. Ripping the door open, he stood ready to plunge her small knife into whatever waited for him.

Nothing came at him and he almost flinched from the lack of movement. Then he saw her, down on the ground. She turned her head so slowly towards him, her blue eyes surprised to see him standing there in the light. It was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

Reeling in his happiness, he gripped her chin gently to examine her face. No, it was her. She was alive and not one of those dead creatures. Gathering her up in his arms, he carried her away from that dirty place. He relished the feel of her skin against his, the weight of her head on his chest. He'd found her.

A hand grabbed his shoulder from behind and he was sure it was one of the putrid wendigos coming to snatch Carol out of his arms. His fist lashed out, landing squarely on the offender.

"Daryl!" shouted a strangled cry. Tom's hand was pressed against his jaw.

Daryl sat up, vestiges of the dream clinging to his mind. He had to protect Carol against the threat. He lunged at Tom but his actions were uncoordinated as he came out of sleep. Tom easily pushed Daryl away from him.

"Wake up!" Tom yelled.

This time Daryl heard him and blinked. The dream faded and he looked around confused. Carol wasn't there, she wasn't in danger. He was in the Sioux camp, where he'd come the day before to try to get his life straightened out.

"You drugged me, you bastard!" he screamed at Tom. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Tom rubbed at his sore jaw from where Daryl had punched him and Daryl couldn't help but to feel a bit of satisfaction at hitting Tom, even if he was sleeping at the time. Clearing his throat, Tom said "You needed it. Have any dreams? Sometimes deep sleep can show our spirits answers to questions or even glimpses at other times and places. Any insights?"

Daryl frowned, not wanting to tell Tom about his dream. It had seemed so real, the emotions so powerful. Grudgingly he said, "Carol was there."

Tom nodded, this answer not unexpected.

Suddenly, Daryl's head snapped up. "What fucking time is it?" Without waiting for an answer, he jumped through the opening of the teepee. By examining the position of the sun, he cursed. He was going to be late for the wedding. Tom came out behind him.

"I ain't got time for this shit," Daryl spat and took off towards the horse paddock to get Sky. If he pushed it, he could still make it to the wedding before the end.

Tom caught up with him just as he was hauling Sky out of the fencing. "Come back tomorrow. Bring both of them. The elders will render their decision after communing with the Great Spirits tonight."

"Good!" Daryl said forcefully. "I want my goddamned life back!" Then he climbed on Sky and they took off like one life form across the countryside towards Quarry.

He rode down the main road, past his house and Carol's farm. It was creepy how quiet that town was with nobody in it. Even the saloon was closed up. To him, it felt like they were riding through a ghost town.

Sky was panting hard as they pulled up in front of the Greene farm. He led her over the water trough and tied her to the fence post. She drank deeply and then nibbled at the nearby green grass. The other horses came over to investigate this new arrival and Sky pricked her ears forward at attention.

Daryl hadn't stuck around though. He vowed to make it up to Sky with lots of treats and massages but the only female on his mind at that moment was Carol. He briefly looked down at his clothes, the same ones he'd worn yesterday. They were rumbled and hadn't exactly been wedding-worth to begin with. Growling in irritation, partially at himself and partially at Tom and the Sioux for drugging him, he decided to ignore it. Nothing he could do now.

He could hear the sounds of music and merriment around the other side of the massive new barn. At first, he was overwhelmed by the structure. How the hell had they gotten something so huge built in two weeks? Fucking amazing.

Beth saw him first as he walked quickly over. Jimmy was walking with her but his focus was all on Beth. She eyed him suspiciously for a moment but then it seemed like she suddenly recognized him. A smile came to her face. He nodded to her and she nodded back. She'd always been a sweet girl but he didn't feel like he had time for chatting right now.e gr's hands

Coming around the side, he glanced through the large open barn doors and saw Sophia and Carl ogling the white wedding cake. The two children were so close that their noses would have been in the icing with one more half step. Daryl couldn't help but crack a smile at them, suppressing the urge to sound like a parent and tell them to back away. His need to find Carol drove him on without a word.

The reception area was crowded, the entire town there. People were eating, dancing, laughing and overall having a great time. The music from Herschel and the others was lively and happy. A small group was surrounding the bride and groom, giving Maggie and Glenn their congratulations. He almost burst out laughing when he saw Merle. Never had his brother worn a fancy suit like that. It must have been Karen's doing and he full intended to use the knowledge to rib his brother later.

Unfortunately, any mirth died when he saw Water sitting next to Merle's woman. How dare they bring her to this wedding knowing Carol was going to be there? Water looked relaxed, nibbling a piece of buttered bread and watching people having fun around her. Seeing that, it made him look even harder for Carol. He scanned all the faces, searching desperately for the one person he wanted.

His eyes landed on her and he froze in shock. She looked so pretty in the emerald green dress with the cream-colored bonnet on her head. She was walking towards the dance floor, her hand encased in the handsome Army officer's grip as he led her along. Her face looked sad when she was facing the tall man's back but then a smile graced her features when he twirled her around into his arms on the dance floor. Daryl felt his heart rate speed up and his hands ball into fists.

Unaware of their audience, the Lieutenant spun her around expertly, obviously comfortable with his dance moves. Carol seemed to be having fun and it made him burn. His eyes went wide with rage when he saw the man pull her hard against him, rubbing their bodies up against each other inappropriately. He noticed Carol tense and try to push away from him but his hands on her hips held her there. It was enough to set Daryl off.

Acting more on instinct than logical thought, he marched up to them and shoved the officer away from her. "Get yer fucking hands off her!" He placed his body between them, facing the soldier who had recovered his balance after so rudely being knocked away from the source of his affection. Daryl felt her small hand on his back, trying to calm him. It helped but he kept himself completely focused on his target.

Some people dancing around them stopped and moved back, worried about what was going to happen. The music stopped and a few people hurried off to find the Sheriff before an incident occurred. The lawman had gone off with Randall just to make sure the property was secure since everyone else was being entertained at the party.

Lieutenant Andrew Flynn looked intense at first but then he started chuckling, his expression amused. "Is this your other suitor?" he addressed Carol. "I can see why you've never mentioned him." Switching his attention to Daryl, he laughed "Hey, you stupid dirty redneck. You think I don't know about you? You're a two-timer, wooing her while getting engaged to that Indian squaw over there," he tilted his head at Water, who looked like she was about to burst into tears. He continued, his voice nasty and condescending, "This woman is a classy, intelligent lady who deserves so much better than you. Why don't you go dance around a fire with your betrothed and leave us alone? I can take care of her better than you ever could."

Daryl let his wrath loose and slammed his fist directly into Flynn's face. He could feel the man's nose break under his knuckles. Several of the other officers that had been invited to wedding were out of their chairs and surrounding their injured leader. They looked about ready to tackle Daryl.

Carol dodged around Daryl, her hands up and yelling "Stop!" Her voice was loud and forceful, meaning business. "Enough." She grabbed Daryl's arm and dragged him away from the reception. Some of the officers contemplated going after them to haul Daryl's ass back for a beating but Flynn ordered them to stand down as he held a handkerchief to his broken nose. The white cloth was quickly turning red.

Once they were behind the barn, far enough away from everyone else, Carol whirled around to face Daryl. "What is wrong with you? This is a wedding and you start a fight in the middle of it?!" she confronted him.

He felt bad, knowing he was messing everything up. Nonetheless, he didn't feel that bad. "I saw that asshole dancing with you, forcing himself on you!" he countered.

She sighed. "I could have handled him myself. You don't have to save me."

He took a small step back at her words. "What'dya mean by that?"

Carol chewed her lip and he could see tears coming to her eyes. His stomach clenched as he got a horrible feeling in his gut about where this conversation was going. "Water's here. She's still here, Daryl. I understand what that means. She's very beautiful and young and she can probably give you things in life that I might never be able to give you. I just want you to be happy," she stated, a few tears spilling down her cheeks.

Daryl felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He fumbled with her hand and tried to hold it against his body. "Don't say that. You know I don't care about any of that stuff. I love you." His voice was choked up.

She didn't acknowledge what he just said. Her eyes would not meet his as she spoke the next words. "Daryl, I release you from any obligations you may feel you owe me. You don't owe me anything. I love you and I set you free." She gently pulled her hand out of his and then walked away from him. She was holding her head high but he could tell she was struggling.

Daryl was about to go after her, tell her she was the only woman he'd ever want. Make her believe that he really did love her. But Sheriff Rick and Deputy Randall were there, stopping him.

"You'd better let her go." Rick said. "She's not going to hear anything you have to say in that state anyway. Give her a little time to calm down." The lawman's eyes were sad for him.

Andrea had come around the barn, having seen what had happened on the dance floor. She took off after the retreating Carol, who was moving blindly for the fields. She threw an angry, withering look at Daryl and he knew beyond a doubt that he deserved it.

Feeling crushed but not completely defeated yet, he let Rick guide him away in the other direction. No, it wasn't over yet. He was going to make sure of that.


	14. Chapter 14

Hi Everyone! Okay, I lied. There is going to be another chapter after this one plus the epilogue. I started writing this and it just got longer and longer so I split the final chapter in two. I really wanted to get into the Rick/Daryl bromance. I love it so much in the show and never seem to get to explore it in any of my stories. Hope nobody is too disappointed that we haven't hit the big ending yet.

Also, got some very big news: I'm pregnant! Very happy about it. It's not going to affect anything with this story but may influence how I decide to write the next story. Details on that later.

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 14**

Rick shook the bottle of whiskey, a little amazed that there was only about a quarter of the brown liquid left. Then he poured two more shots, sliding one over to the wretched man across from him and saved the other for himself. The third shot glass remained empty.

Slumped in the far corner of the sheriff's station was Randall. The young man was passed out cold. Rick couldn't help smirking as Randall's mouth hung open, his deputy drooling on his vest and snoring softly. He'd only had three shots of the whiskey. Despite big talking when they started, it was obvious he couldn't handle his liquor. Rick was going to remember that for the future.

Daryl swung the shot glass up to his lips and downed the contents. He hissed as the fiery alcohol burned its way down his throat and slammed the glass back down on the desk. Then he pressed his head back into the crook of his arm, slouching on the desk. Rick sipped his own drink. With his deputy out of commission, one of them needed to stay somewhat clearheaded.

"I'm gonna lose everythin'," Daryl wallowed in his sorrow, his voice muffled.

After taking him away from the wedding, Rick and Randall had brought the very upset man back to the station. It had been unclear at first if they should stick him in a cell but Daryl just sat down like he'd been defeated at the chair they used to take statements at the desk. He refused to talk, just hiding his face in his crossed arms. Well, until the whiskey came out. It seemed the usually quiet man got chatty with liquor.

"I highly doubt that," Rick told him.

Daryl turned his head without lifting it, resting against his forearm and eyeing Rick. His words were slightly slurred. "Yeah, I am. I gotta take Water back to the Sioux. They're gonna see it as a big slap in the face, me returnin' her. They ain't never gonna trade with me again." He suddenly grabbed the bottle off the desk and took a long pull. Rick watched, still sipping at his shot glass. Daryl put it down, wiped his mouth then moaned, "Without that tradin', I ain't nothing in this town. Back to being just a worthless sack of shit." His head fell to the desk with a clunk, making Rick wince.

"That's complete bullshit, Daryl. It's true that your trading with the Sioux has been very profitable, both for you and Quarry, but it isn't everything. You are an upstanding citizen of this town and that's not going to change. It's hard to admit but even Merle's become a contributing member of society. You're never going to be thought of as worthless," Rick tried to press into him but he wasn't sure the words were penetrating Daryl's hazy depression.

"Nah, I'll be nothin' again. Just like I was before I got here," Daryl muttered.  
"You're something to Carol," Rick said quietly. He'd been deliberately not mentioning her because of how difficult of a subject she was going to be to Daryl but it was high time to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

Daryl whimpered as if he were in severe visceral pain. Rick jumped when Daryl's fist crashed down on the desk without Daryl bringing his head up. He wondered if the vibrations from the sound were reverberating through Daryl's skull.

"That asshole soldier was right," he stated in a broken voice. "I don't deserve her. She's too good for me." Rick wanted to protest but he kept quiet, having a feeling Daryl wasn't done yet. The scruffy man finally lifted his head off the desk and ran his hands over his face. "But I love her!" he declared forcefully. Rick couldn't help to smile a little at this, knowing it was true. "I ain't never felt this way bout nobody before her. I don't think I wanna live without her." He sagged down the chair, his head resting on the back of it and he stared up at the ceiling. "Might be best if the Sioux just scalped me and got it over with."

"Stop it!" Rick snapped at him. The lawman rarely lost his temper and it got Daryl's attention. "You don't want to live without her? Don't. Daryl, you've always been much more a man of action than a man of words. You've got to take an action big enough to convince her that she's worth something to you, worth more than Water and the Sioux trading."

It seemed like those words were finally getting through to Daryl and he was slowly nodding his head in agreement. His eyes were unfocused and Rick wasn't sure if that was from the alcohol or from a plan forming inside Daryl's head. Most likely it was a little of both.

Before Rick could say anything more, the front door flew open and Merle strolled in. Karen followed behind him and Rick could see through the window that Water was waiting nervously outside. Randall jumped away at the intrusion but quickly leaned back against the wall, his eyes hooded.

"Damn it, little brother. Been lookin' everywhere for ya! Didn't think ya'd be here getting' shitfaced with the Sheriff," Merle shouted at Daryl.

Rick couldn't help smirking. "Nice suit, Merle."

Before Merle could make any kind of retort to Rick's comment, Daryl was up out of his seat and lunging at his brother. "You motherfucker! Why'd you bring Water ta that weddin' when you knew Carol would be there?"

Merle sidestepped him. "Cause you left the poor girl cryin' at our house and we couldn't just leave her there alone. 'Sides, everybody was on their best behavior till you came!"

Daryl lunged at him again, trying to get his fist to connect with Merle's face. Unfortunately, his aim was off from drinking too much and he ended up landing hard on his ass on the wood floor. He ran his hands roughly over his face and through his hair, making a noise of frustration.

"She left me!" he yelled then in a voice filled with so much pain it touched every person in the room.

Karen gasped at his statement, her eyes wide. "Oh, no! She wouldn't do that. The whole town can see how much she adores you and you her!" It almost seemed like she was trying to reassure herself as much as she was trying to reassure him, assuage the guilt she felt for convincing Merle to let her bring Water along with them. Daryl didn't answer, just kept looking down at the floor like he'd been beaten.

"Daryl?" came a soft voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Water standing there, an unhappy but determined look on her face. Daryl didn't acknowledge her anymore than he acknowledged Karen so Water went to him instead. She knelt down on the floor next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinched a little away from her touch and both Rick and Merle stepped forward, concerned the angry, drunk man would lash out at her. He didn't, just kind of quivered under her hand.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. I see now that the Great Spirits were wrong. I know it is not my place to question their decisions but we were never meant to be together. We are both destined for other. I am ready to go back to my tribe and accept whatever consequences come with my dishonor. I will endeavor to make them see how you have been wronged and hope that they can forgive you. And that you will forgive me," she said earnestly.

Daryl didn't move or speak for several long minutes. Everyone was quiet around then. Finally, Daryl looked at her. His eyes were narrowed, searching her face for any kind of deception or fraud. Finding none, he nodded sharply, accepting her apology.

Merle grabbed Daryl's arm and hefted him up off the floor. Daryl swayed on his feet and Rick had to steady him from the other side. Guiding him to the wall, Rick went over and lightly kicked Randall in the leg. The deputy had fallen asleep again and awoke with a snort.

"Up and at 'em Deputy! I gotta help this man home and that means you are on duty." He hauled the man to his feet. "Start doing jumping jacks. When you get to 100, switch to push ups," Rick ordered. "You hear me? Let's see them!"

Randall started his jumping jacks, which were definitely of poor form. As Rick went back over to Daryl to help drag him back to the house, he yelled over his shoulder "Get those arms up higher!" Randall stretched his arms higher as he jumped, seeming to get a little more awake with each round. "Good! You better be sobering up by the time I get back." Randall saluted weakly to them as they left the building.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Daryl awoke in his bed, unsure how he got there. His memories after the wedding were fuzzy. He did remember Sheriff Rick and whiskey bottle, which probably also meant talking. Shit, what had he said to the lawman? He'd probably turned into a whiny little bitch, blathering on about his problems. He liked Rick but Daryl Dixon wasn't usually the sharing type.

He sat up in his bed, a sense of urgency overcoming him as he recalled why he'd woken up so suddenly. There was a mild throbbing in his head from the hangover but it wasn't horrible so he just ignored it. The night was cloudy and there was almost no moonlight coming through the window so he twisted the knob on the oil lamp to a low level. Even with that, he squinted and had to let his eyes adjust for a minute.

Stumbling a little as he got out of bed, he crossed the small room to the beat-up dresser. He glared at it, trying to dig out the memory of what he was searching for. It had been years and all he knew was that it was somewhere in the dresser. Starting at the top drawers, he riffled through all the contents and throwing them unceremoniously on the floor into a messy pile.

He was somewhat frantic by the time he got to the last drawer and still hadn't found it. What if Merle had found it? He'd spent years hiding it from his brother, knowing that he'd hock it for money to spend on booze, gambling and women. If that had happened then it was gone forever.

Grunting, Daryl pulled out the bottom drawer from the dresser. He stuck his hand in, carefully examining the bones of the furniture. Nothing. Shifting to the other side, he practically flung the drawer out. This time his hand brushed against a piece of cloth shoved way in the back. Found it.

He pulled out the blue fabric bag and just held it in his hands for a few minutes. It brought back a lot of emotions from a period in his life that was dead now. Then he carefully untied the string holding the bag closed at the top. Tipping it carefully, he emptied the contents out into his palm.

The ring looked exactly the same as when he'd stashed it inside the dresser just after they'd moved into the house. It wasn't fancy gold but a shining silver with a small amethyst stone on the top. It wasn't worth much but it was the most precious item he owned. It had belonged to his mother.

The first time he saw it was the day after his mother had burned to death in the boarding house fire. He and Merle had spent the night at the local rancher's house but he had no idea where his father was. Probably had gotten drunk that night at the saloon and slept in the gutter. Young Daryl had woken before sunrise and snuck out of the house to go sit on the stairs to the blackened boarding house where his mother died. A little after dawn, the owner of the place, who'd gotten out unharmed, had came up the stairs and sat down next to him.

_"This was your mother's,"_ the man had said sadly, handing him the little blue bag. _"She'd been keeping it in my safe, which had survived the fire_,_"_ he explained. The boy Daryl had been didn't say a word as he looked at the only thing left from his dead mother. He did cry, which was not something he did often because it usually prompted a beating from his father or brother to try to make a man out of him. The kindly owner had patted him on the shoulder and then left him alone.

Slipping the ring back into the blue bag, he tied the string closed to ensure it wouldn't slip out. Then he climbed back into bed, clutching the valuable item to his chest as he fell back to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Guess what I watched today while I was writing this: Blade 2. Why is that relevant? It has a young Norman Reedus in it that is so cute! He does get blown up but I bet he had a blast (pun intended) doing that scene, knowing him.

Here it is! The last chapter before the epilogue. I hope you all enjoy it!

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Chapter 15**

The morning was bright with the sunlight shining through the windows, lighting the entire house. All the clouds that had been obscuring the moon overnight were burned away by the intensity of the dawn. The birds were chirping merrily and Daryl laid in his bed for several minutes enjoying their song before he decided he needed to get his ass up. It was going to be a big day.

In his hand was clutched the blue fabric bag. He had no recollection of finding it last night but a quick glance at his dismembered dresser proved his forgotten actions. He didn't need to untie the string holding it closed to know that the ring was still inside. His fingers caressed it through the cloth, feeling the roundness and rubbing against the stone. It was all he had and he just hoped it would be enough.

As he dressed, he ignored the headache pounding in his skull. It was his penance for what happened yesterday. However, his growling stomach was not so easily ignored. He couldn't remember the last time he ate, not at the Sioux village and not at the wedding. Adrenalin had been fueling him all the day before but now he needed sustenance.

He sniffed the air as he pulled on his boots and swore he could smell food cooking in the kitchen. Frowning, he suddenly realized that he hadn't slept in his room for weeks. First he'd been with Carol and then it had been taken over by Water. Now he was alone there. Where the hell was she?

She was the one cooking in the kitchen. Her outfit was the one she'd come in, the traditional squaw clothing. It seemed that she had actually mastered the hearth and Daryl almost fainted from how good the eggs and bacon smelled. She noticed him behind her and quickly motioned for him to sit at the table while she got a plate ready for him. He was so hungry he didn't say a word when she placed the breakfast in front of him. He just shoved the food eagerly into his mouth.

After finishing more than half the plate, he actually noticed that she was nervously fidgeting in front of him. "What?" he mumbled, food still in his mouth.

"I... I just want to thank you. You've been right all along. We never would have been happy together. You would have always resented me for coming between you and Carol and I would have always felt like the outcast here, never able to compare to her accomplishments. She deserves you more than me," Water told him. Daryl stared at her with narrowed eyes but her words seemed genuine. He nodded at her once, accepting them. She smiled then bit her lip. "Maybe there's a chance Towering Tree will still have me despite my failure," she said wistfully as she cleared away Daryl's now empty plate.

"He'd be a fool not ta," Daryl muttered, earning an even bigger smile from her.

Daryl didn't tell her the plan. In fact, they didn't speak again as they saddled up the horses and headed out towards the Peletier farm. She just followed his lead silently, trusting him to know what to do. They stopped in front of the house, Daryl sliding off Sky and handing Water the reins. He took a deep, cleansing breath and ran his fingers through his hair. This was going to be difficult but there was no other way to get what he wanted.

He knocked on the front door with a confidence he wasn't really feeling. The hammering sound reverberated around the house and he took another calming breath as he heard footsteps running down the stairs. They were light and skipping; Sophia. He swallowed hard, unsure if he was prepared to take the wrath of the little girl. He wasn't disappointed when the door swung open and her face was clouded with anger.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing here?" she spat at him.

"Hey! Watch yer language! Yer mama didn't teach ya ta talk like that," he admonished her, sounding a lot like a parent again. That seemed to catch her off-guard and she blinked at him, speechless.

Then Sophia's face fell and her voice was sad. "Why are you here, Daryl? Her heart is broken. If you've come to say good-bye," she glanced behind him at Water waiting on the horse, "you're only gonna hurt her more. You should just let her go." She whispered the last sentence.

"Never," he whispered back and went down on his knee in front of her. His eyes found hers and he implored her silently to believe what he was going to tell her. "I ain't leavin' and I ain't never gonna let her go. I'm gonna fix this Sophia. If she'll have me back, we all's gonna be a family."

There were tears in her eyes and it looked like she so wanted to believe him. "A family? You, me and mom?" she asked him, her voice still a whisper. He nodded. "Promise?"

"Promise," he asserted. She paused for just a beat and then launched herself into his arms. It almost knocked him over but he held her to him in a fierce hug.

After a minute, she drew back. "She's upstairs. Andrea's with her so be careful." He knew that was going to be a challenge. Sophia squeezed his hand. "She still loves you very much. You've just got to convince her you do too." With that, she pointed towards the stairs.

Andrea met him outside the bedroom, in the hallway where his fist had punched a hole in the wall. She looked to be on fire with rage and she had her trusty shotgun clutched in her hands.

"You've got a lot of balls coming here after what you've done," she growled at him.

He reached down into his pocket and she took that as a threatening gesture. The shotgun was in his face in a flash. His hands came up immediately, the little blue bag held between his fingers. Andrea's hands were shaking and it was making him nervous being so close to the muzzle of a loaded shotgun. Yet, he knew that she didn't want to shoot him, not really. Slowly, he pulled the ring out of the bag and held it up to her.

Andrea stared at it, the shotgun lowering almost involuntarily. She reached out with one hand to touch it but Daryl snatched his hand back. "It ain't for you!"

She gave him a wary smile. "I kinda figured that." She put the shotgun down and faced him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know that ring means forever, right? You ready for that?" He nodded. Andrea continued, "Because she deserves forever. A good forever, not like the last time she was promised forever."

"I ain't Ed," he stated, the name foul on his tongue. "Would never treat her like that fucker did." He put the ring back in the bag and slipped it in his pocket.

Andrea accepted this and moved aside to let him pass into the bedroom. Before he completely moved past her, she put her hand on his arm to stop him. Whispering in his ear, she said, "Just remember, if you ever hurt her again like this, I'll shoot your balls off with my shotgun." He looked her in the eye and had a feeling she meant it. She was one tough bitch.

Her hand fell away and he opened the door into the bedroom. His heart clenched seeing her laying on the bed, looking so small and weak. Her face was pressed into her pillow and her knees were drawn up against her body. He opened his mouth, unsure what to say but she beat him to it.

"Go away, Daryl." Her voice was hoarse with all the tears she'd shed but it was still sturdy, meaning business.

"No. We're gonna fix this. Just come with me and I'll prove it," he said as he moved to her side. His fingers tentatively touched her shoulder, not wanting to hurt her.

Suddenly, her hand came up and slapped his away. She sat up quickly and bodily shoved herself away from him. His perceived weakness of her was a falsehood and he almost laughed at his own stupidity for forgetting just how strong she was. This was the woman who'd been ready to leave all the comforts of her home for the dangers of the road in order to save her daughter and self from further torment. This was the woman who'd drove an axe through her dead husband's head. He needed to be more aggressive if he was going to convince her to come with him. His hand went around her wrist but she shook him off because he wasn't willing to grip her hard enough to bruise her.

"You made your choice, Daryl!" she cried brokenly as she tried to scoot herself across the bed away from him.

"Damn right I did. You," he told her intensely and grabbed her around the waist. In one swift movement, he threw her over his shoulder. She fought him at first, hitting his back with her small fist but he refused to put her down. After a minute, she stopped, panting hard. Then he told her, "I love you Carol and today, I'm gonna prove it." He carried her out of the room, past Andrea and down the stairs.

"Should I just throw ya across the saddle or are ya willing to ride like a lady?" he asked her as he set her on her feet next to Sky. She eyed Water guardedly but the young woman wouldn't meet her eyes, her gaze firmly on the back of the neck of her horse. Carol swung her body up on Sky, answering Daryl's question without words.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, calm but still not relenting a certain amount of anger.

"To the Sioux." She nodded in understanding.

He jogged up the stairs and whispered something to Andrea and Sophia, who had come out to watch them leave. Carol couldn't hear him and frowned when she saw the two of them nod at his words. Then he leapt on Sky's back behind Carol and guided the horse out into the countryside, Water following close behind.

None of them spoke during the entire journey. Daryl had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around Carol, who sat so tantalizingly in front of him. Her short hair let him have a close-up view of creamy, long neck and his lips longed to kiss her there. Instead, he let his breath flow over her skin and he was rewarded with her squirming in the saddle, her back and thighs brushing against him. When he wasn't sure he could keep himself under control, the Sioux camp came into view, giving him a welcome distraction.

It looked like the entire village was waiting for them. A hush settled over the crowd as the two horses came before them. Flying Eagle, Red Leaf and Rebel Squirrel (aka Tom) were standing in front. The three of them stepped forward, hands up in welcoming. Daryl swung himself off Sky and then helped Carol climb down. He didn't let go of her hand as they walked towards the villagers and she allowed him to keep it firmly in his as she was somewhat anxious at the entire tribe intently looking at her. Water walked next to Daryl but not as close as Carol.

Flying Eagle began speaking in his aged voice, the Sioux listening closely. Tom stepped up to them and began translating the Chief's words. "Welcome back to our land. The elders have spent many hours communing with the Great Spirits and have reached a conclusion on our predicament. We have the answers to all your questions."

The Chief paused, reaching out a bent finger to touch each of them on the forehead before continuing. "The Great Spirits do not always work in ways that are understandable to us here on this plane. You have all been greatly tested and I believed you have all passed in the eyes of our ancestors. This has been very hard but the rewards shall be so satisfying."

Turning to Water first, he motioned Red Leaf forward. He embraced her lovingly and Water looked so happy she could cry. Tom went on translating for Red Leaf now. "My daughter, I know this has been so difficult for you. It was thought that you were given a great honor but it was really just a test, both for you and for them. There is no need for you to feel dishonor or disgrace because you have accomplished what the Great Spirits needed from you. In return, you will be joined with the one you were always intended to be with."

Motioning him over, Towering Tree stepped forward and Red Left joined his hand with Rushing Water's. She was smiling so widely at this outcome. Even the usually dour warrior looked…happy. His eyes did not seem to want to leave the face of his newly betrothed.

Chief Flying Eagle moved over to Daryl and Carol then. She fidgeted a little nervously and Daryl squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"The testing of the Great Spirits is mysterious. Despite the best of intentions, the elders are not always privy to the underlying plans of the ancestors. It had been shown to you , trader of the white man, that this woman was to be your betrothed during a vision quest. We were not aware of this but that was goal of their test. You have both suffered greatly from it but from pain comes the strengthening of love. Do you wish to be betrothed?"

Carol turned to Daryl, a questioning look on her face. "Did you really see me in a vision quest?"

Daryl nodded. "They told me you were gonna flee Quarry, away from Ed. I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing you again. I was forced kickin' and screamin' to accept my feelings for you. I love you, Carol."

She bit her bottom lip. "Enough to marry me?"

He pulled out the ring, the blue bag falling to the ground. He went down on one knee, presenting the silver ring to her. "If you'd have me. I ain't perfect. I know I got a bad temper and I ain't fancy like that officer who's been tryin' ta court ya. But I love ya and want ya ta be mine."

Carol burst out in happy tears and pulled him up to his feet. "Always." Then she kissed him deeply. The crowd around them went wild with cheering. When they broke apart, Daryl slipped the ring on Carol's finger. She was officially marked as his.

Sophia came running over, her arms flinging around both Daryl and her mother. Andrea strolled behind her, a smile on her lips. Even Merle was there, clapping for his brother. Daryl's whisper to them had been to follow because it was going to be quite a scene there and he wanted them there for Carol.

After all the ruckus died down, the two of them finally got a minute alone together while a great feast was being prepared in celebration. Daryl held her in his arms, his finger tracing along her forehead and down her cheek.

"I'm sorry I was such an asshole," he apologized.

She gave him a small smile. "Yeah, you were. But I forgive you now." She admired the ring shining like a bright star on her hand and then kissed him deeply. He never thought he could get enough of her.

An elderly woman came up to them and motioned for them to come to the large fire where the festivities were happening. They went to stand next to their group, which actually included Water and Towering Tree. The elderly woman touched Carol's arm and then she drew back abruptly. She spoke a few words and then smiled sweetly at Carol before walking away.

Carol turned to Water in confusion. "What did she say?"

"She said you're going to be having a boy." Water laughed loudly at the surprised faces all around her.


	16. Epilogue

_Okay, I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this but my computer has decided to die. I can't get Windows to boot up. Darn thing is only 3 years old. Ugh! Anyway, I don't want to lose this and I only was able to get it because I emailed it to my betas. So here you go early!_

I really felt the need to write this epilogue before we leave the town of Quarry forever. It's been 5 months since I started writing "Hell Fire Quarry" and I am sad to be leaving it behind. The town and all the characters have been so real inside my head. Unfortunately, all the stories it has to offer have been written, at least from my point of view. See you all on the other side…

I do not own The Walking Dead or the Twilight Zone but love those who do.

**Epilogue – Three Years Later**

It was an absolutely beautiful day with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds drifting along. It was the perfect day for a picnic outside. Carol stood at the kitchen counter, preparing a pile of food to pack in the large basket. She kept looking at the window, enjoying the view that held more than just the stunning sky.

Daryl was out back, teaching Sophia and Carl how to use the crossbow. He'd actually made them each their own crossbow, a little smaller than his but still very effective. There were several straw targets set up in different shapes and sizes. Some were small, simulating animals they might hunt. Others were larger and human-shaped, practice for dense against wendigos and outlaws. Even though it had been almost two years since the last wendigo sighting, Daryl still wanted the children to be prepared to defend themselves against one if needed.

Merle sat off to the side, watching as the kids took turns shooting at the targets. Sometimes he would yell pointers at them but Daryl kept giving him the finger, trying to get him to shut up. His pointers were crap. Merle would just laugh, thoroughly entertained by this new game.

Sophia and Carl were sixteen years old now. They were still best friends but there seemed to be more of a spark of romance there than either of them were willing to admit. Needless to say, Daryl had put his foot down on the sleepovers the second Carl turned 13 years old and Rick absolutely agreed with him. Not that they weren't always together during their waking hours anyway.

One of Sophia's bolts went right through the head of the human-shaped target, practically taking it down. She whooped happily and even Carol could hear her through the window. Daryl gave her a pat on the back along with one of his signature crooked smiles that told the girl how proud he was of her. Merle clapped loudly in the background while Carl held up the fallen head of straw to show her the accomplishment.

Carol moved her left hand away from the vegetables she was cutting and a flash of light bounced off her ring. She looked down, admiring the pretty purple stone set in the silver band. It wasn't just the ring she loved; it was everything it represented. She couldn't remember ever having been so happy as she had the last three years with Daryl. Never did she have to worry anymore that her husband was going to come home drunk. Or spend all their money gambling down at the saloon. Or beat her until she bled or passed out all because she said the wrong thing or cooked dinner the wrong way. No, compared to Ed, Daryl was the perfect husband.

He'd taken over the running of the farm completely. After working extensively with Herschel and Morgan, he learned as much as he possibly could and now the farm was actually turning a profit. It was something that had quickly ended when Ed had taken over from Carol's father and Carol could not be more pleased to see Daryl getting the place back to its full potential. Of course, he still hunted and traded with Sioux, further adding to list of important undertakings.

This let Carol further focus on her teaching at the schoolhouse. The War Between the States was over and the North won after the bloody Battle of Gettysburg. Now as the South was in the process of rebuilding after the devastation, thousands and thousands of people were moving west. They were searching for a new life out in the territories and numerous families had started settling in and around Quarry. It was starting to feel downright crowded in the little town for some of the older residents. Yet, that meant a whole new crop of children that needed schooling and it was all up to Carol to educate them.

As she started stacking her packages of food into the basket, Carol thought about all the people in Quarry that she'd grown so close to. They'd had such an experience fighting the wendigos that they all seemed more like family to her than just neighbors. It made the new people seem all the more like outsiders but she knew that would change over time.

Doc Greene was as happy as ever with two little grandchildren running around. They were Irish twins as Maggie got pregnant almost immediately after popping out the first child. Glenn was made a full partner in the General Store with Dale giving him more and more responsibility as he dreamed of retirement. Beth and Jimmy were engaged but she was taking much longer to plan out her wedding than her sister.

The relationship between Tyreese, Michonne and Sasha was still one of much debate. Their blacksmith business was booming as Tyreese became better at working the irons and even Michonne was starting to apprentice under him. She'd confided in Carol once that her goal was someday to be able to make a replica of her own sword. The three of them were still living in the two-room apartment above the shop but there was nothing official at this point. However, Duane Jones, now eighteen years old, had started following Sasha around like a love-sick puppy dog. At first she had merely tolerated him but now she seemed to be flirting right back with him.

The Grimes family had added on a new addition, a little sister for Carl named Judith. Sheriff Rick and Lori never seemed to fight anymore, both of them realizing in their own way that Shane had been the cause of most of the friction in their relationship. They were a happy family and Rick was happy to be back to keeping the town safe from human issues rather than undead flesh-eaters. The murder rate dropped drastically since the last of the wendigos were dealt with.

Deputy Randall had proven himself to be a very effective and dedicated lawman. The townsfolk liked him and he worked hard to earn their trust. He'd even started courting Amy. There was gossip of an engagement in the near future.

The one relationship everyone would have considered to have the least amount of drama in the beginning turned into one of the more tumultuous ones in the town (outside of Daryl and Carol's drama, which has become legendary), Andrea and Milton. They were obviously smitten with each other but once Milton was finished his book, he tried to push Andrea into leaving with him to New York City. Andrea threw a fit, telling him she'd never leave Quarry and the saloon she'd worked so hard to build up. After a massive fight, Milton left town and Andrea collapsed into a severe depression. Her moods ranged from crippled in bed to snappy temper. When it got to the point that even her sister couldn't stand her and was considering shipping her off in a box to New York City, Milton came back to Quarry. He showed up on his knees, begging for her to take him back and that he realized that he just could not live without her. He'd spent four days in New York before he'd turned around and got back on the first train to Colorado. He'd stayed there long enough to get her a beautiful diamond ring and she gladly accepted it. Now she was almost bursting at the seams, their first child due any day now.

Merle was still the head farm manager at the Peletier's place. Sometimes that did cause some friction between him and Daryl because Merle had a hard time taking orders from his baby brother. However, Merle thorough enjoyed bossing around the two young farm hands that had been taken on to help with the chores as the farm became more profitable.

Karen, Noah and William the farrier had never left Quarry. William decided it was time for retirement as his arthritis and back pain got worse with each horse he serviced. He bought out the Greene's guest house and settled down to a relaxing life. Karen and Noah ended up moving into the little Dixon house, which became quite a nice home at the direction of Karen. She even got Merle to install running water inside. They lived together like any family, although Merle and Karen were never officially married. All the newcomers assumed they were and nobody ever corrected them.

"Mama?" came a little voice behind Carol, interrupting her thoughts. "Did I miss the picnic?" A little blond boy stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Of course not, Hunter. I told you we'd be just about ready to go as soon as you woke up after your nap. And look!" she held up the packed picnic basket. "All ready now!"

He clapped happily, the same crooked smile on his face that often graced Daryl's. Carol helped him get his shoes on and then told him to go out back and tell everyone that it was time to leave. He pushed through the door excitedly. Carol's thought her heart would burst with tenderness as she saw Daryl scoop the boy up and swing him around until the child was laughing hysterically. The smile on Daryl's face as he played with his son was something Carol wished she could get a picture of.

Heaving up the full picnic basket, the horses were loaded up with the children and then the adults led them out into the countryside. After a nice walk, they came upon a babbling brook, the perfect area for a picnic. Carol spread out the blankets with all the food while Merle ran around with Hunter on his shoulders, chased by Sophia and Carl. Daryl kept trying to steal carrot pieces out of the basket until Carol smacked his hand.

"Not until they get here," she admonished him. He scowled good-naturedly then snatched up one more carrot to feed to Sky, who munched on it with satisfaction.

They came not long after that, coming over the ridge to the regular meeting place. Carol gave Water a warm hug while Daryl clasped hands with the wall of a man, Towering Tree. Their own little son went tearing off after the other children. He was only three months younger than Hunter and two boys were already fast friends. Water held a tiny infant daughter in a papoose strapped around her body. Carol cooed over the little baby, meeting her for the first time.

All of them crowded around the blanket, eating heartily and talking about various subjects. Even Towering Tree had learned numerous words and was able to participate in the conversation in his broken English. It was a friendly, jovial picnic until Water broke some sad news to them.

"We're leaving this place," she told them all in a heartbreaking voice.

Carol looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"The whole tribe is leaving and we need to go with them. This area has been overrun by the white man and we have had a lot of them coming on to our land. They aren't like you. They treat us like low savages, insulting and threatening us. Three days ago, one of those intruders came right up to the village, claiming we were trespassing on his land! Rebel Squirrel tried to talk him down, to assure him we would not do that but the man didn't listen. He pulled a gun on us and shot at one of the teepees! No one got hurt but they very easily could have."

Carol gasped, "That's horrible! There must be something we can do to help."

She shook her head miserably. "We cannot fight the white men and more come all the time. They have more fire weapons than we could ever hope for and a war would be suicide. The elders have decided to move north to join with our sister tribe. Hopefully the white man will leave us alone."

Daryl looked pissed. "This ain't right. Those bastards should know that not everythin' belongs ta them." He poked Merle in the arm. "We should teach them a lesson."

Merle smiled dangerously. "I'd be up for some lesson-teaching ass kicking." He cracked his knuckles loudly.

Water held up her hand firmly. "No. It's done. We've only stayed long enough to be able to say good-bye. After our tests together by the Great Spirits, we feel so bonded to you. But we have to stay with our tribe, our family. We'll miss you!" she cried, throwing herself into Carol's arms.

It was a teary farewell with a lot of hugs, knowing they likely would never see any of them again. The mood was somber as they made their way back to Quarry.

That night, holding each other in their arms, Carol hugged Daryl tightly. "I'm so sad to see them go. I'm also sorry that you're losing the trading with the tribe."

Daryl scratched her back lazily, sighing deeply. "Yeah, that sucks. But if they're bein' harassed by assholes, they might be right to leave. There sure are a lot of intolerant fuckers movin' in lately. Getting' downright crowded in these parts."

"You want to move with them?" she asked suddenly.

He chuckled at her idea, knowing it wasn't thought out one bit. "Nah, Quarry's our home. Never thought I'd feel that way bout any place but I feel that way bout here. Can't leave our home."

She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. "I love you, Daryl."

He kissed her back. "I love you, Carol." The words came to him easily now.

**The End**

There we go, everyone! Another story finished. Again, this story would not have been possible without the original idea for a Walking Dead western coming from HGRHfan35. She is my muse and inspiration. I also need to profusely thank Haitus80 for beta-ing all my chapter for grammar mistakes and her constant encouragement. For all of you who have commented, favorite, followed or just even read this story, I love you!

I have another idea forming in my head, which will be a weird one. It's me so weird is typical, right? However, I am thinking about writing it a little differently. It has been very difficult to get chapters out as soon as I'd like because I have been working so hard and overly tired because of the pregnancy. I feel pressured about writing, especially when I have either no time or energy for it. So for the next story, I think I might write the whole thing and then post a chapter a day once it's done. The good news is that you will never have to wait longer than a day or so for a chapter. The bad news is that it could take me months to finish. I am so going to miss interacting with so many of you. I value all your comments and the conversations that have sprung for them. Where else do I get to express my Caryl obsession as much as I do here you all? I'll miss you all so much!

What do you think about this?


End file.
